


Match Made In Purgatory

by RaeDMagdon



Series: The Best Entertainment [6]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-22
Updated: 2014-03-08
Packaged: 2017-11-10 12:18:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 42,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/466181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeDMagdon/pseuds/RaeDMagdon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: "Aria finds herself in the uncomfortable situation of being in love." Aria T'Loak pretends that she isn't falling for Tevos because of their friends-with-benefits arrangement, but is forced to confront the problem when Tevos brings someone else as her date to Shepard and Liara's wedding. Follows The Best Entertainment, Again, and The Only Thing. UPDATED 03/08/14</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Français available: [Purgatoire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7903879) by [RaeDMagdon_fr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeDMagdon_fr/pseuds/RaeDMagdon_fr)



> Well, it's been almost two years since I wrote MMIP, and after finishing 'The Only Thing', I've realized it just doesn't fit the universe I created for Aria and Tevos anymore. In hindsight, there was also one sex scene that needed a clearer moment of connection and consent before it started. However, I still love this story, and it's special enough to deserve a rewrite! So, please enjoy the new and improved Match Made In Purgatory. I edited for spelling errors, dialogue tags, etc., added a few paragraphs of content here and there to make references to TOT, and changed the tone of a few parts. As always, please follow me on tumblr @raedmagdon.

Aria knew that the invitation was coming before she got it. The news had hit the extranet ten standard hours ago, but her informants had managed to warn her in advance. She suspected that somewhere far away, Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani was creaming her panties. Not sure whether to be amused or annoyed by the drama – Aria had an intense dislike for drama that she wasn't personally involved in – she opened the envelope with a slender finger and read the card.

__

DR. LIARA T'SONI

& CDR. JANE SHEPARD

REQUEST THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY

AT THE CELEBRATION OF THEIR UNION

AT 14:00 HRS (G.S.) 4 . 12 . 2188

THE T'SONI ESTATE

ARMALI, THESSIA

RECEPTION TO FOLLOW

What surprised her wasn't the embossed letters, the smooth paper, or the fact that she had been invited. Well, perhaps she was a little surprised that she had made the guest list, but Liara hadn't ordered any agents to kill her in the past month and a half, so they were currently on good terms. Instead, it was the hastily scribbled note on the back that made her do a double-take: 'Feel free to bring a Plus One.'

It was clearly Liara's handwriting. Aria's stomach dropped. Damn Liara. Damn her for knowing everything. And Goddess damn her for trying to force her own biases on poor, unsuspecting wedding guests.

Grumbling under her breath, Aria keyed a familiar number into her Omni-tool. She deliberately ignored Grizz, who had handed her the invitation in the first place, and did not hear the turian's soft sigh of relief when her call went through on the second beep. She pressed her lips into a thin, angry line as her Omnitool projected a full-sized image of Liara T'Soni in front of her couch. To her great disappointment, Liara did not react to her angry expression, and she also did not seem surprised by her call. "Aria. This is... well, not unexpected, to be honest."

Aria frowned, brandishing her invitation. "Care to explain this, Ms. Shadow Broker?"

"Ah. You're calling to RSVP to the wedding, then."

"Don't get cute with me, T'Soni. I want to know about this." She pointed at the 'plus one' message on the back of the card. "I should throw a couple of translators at your head until you learn the meaning of the word 'subtle' in about fifty or sixty languages."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. The 'plus one' offer was extended to other guests as well. You aren't that special."

"Bullshit." Aria's eyes narrowed suspiciously at Liara's image. "You're trying to set me up."

"You hardly need my assistance to find company, Aria. I'll just mark you down as a 'yes' for the wedding. Anything else? I'm still deciding on the menu..."

"Alcohol," she muttered. "Lots of alcohol. But it doesn't matter, because I'm not going. And I'm not bringing anyone, either."

The holo of Liara assumed a steely, unforgiving look. To her credit, Aria didn't twitch, but she couldn't remember the last time someone had actually made her feel a little uncomfortable just by glaring at her. That was usually one of her tricks, and having someone else use it on her for a change was unsettling. "You are coming to my wedding, Aria T'Loak, and you aren't going to complain about it. Or else."

Aria's frown shifted into a lazy smirk. "Oh, that's adorable. You actually think you can blackmail me."

"I'm the Shadow Broker. Blackmail is my business, and you know for a fact that I have ample material. You gave it to me, after all."

Aria knew what Liara was referring to immediately: the vid footage that had started her strange, confusing relationship with Tevos. Sometimes she still regretted making it, even though Tevos had long since forgiven her for her crime. She rolled her eyes, trying her best to look bored. "Really? You think an amateur sex vid will scare me into coming to your wedding?"

"Yes."

"It will probably help my infamous reputation, actually."

"I know."

With a terrifying bolt of clarity, Aria realized what Liara wasn't saying. Liara knew that, under normal circumstances, a leaked sex vid wouldn't bother her. She also knew that this time, it did. And worst of all, she probably knew why.

Aria didn't actually believe that Liara would do anything to hurt Tevos, professionally or personally. She would never release the private footage she had recorded. Her threat was far subtler. Somehow, she had picked up on the change in tone that her relationship with Tevos had undergone, and this was her way of making it clear. Apparently, awkward little Liara was all grown up, and had discovered one of her few, carefully-hidden weaknesses.

It wasn't fair. Aria wasn't normally the type to avoid problems, and the fact that Liara was aware of her private struggle bothered her. "I hate you," she grumbled. The Liara-holo stared at her, waiting expectantly, actually having the gall to tap her foot. "I'll come." She forced that last part out through gritted teeth. The agents Liara currently had stationed on Omega were going to pay for this.

"Good." Liara simply nodded and turned away, ending the connection while Aria seethed.

Slowly, Aria lowered her Omnitool in her lap. Then, she leapt up from her divan and folded her hands behind her back, staring out over the smoky floor of Afterlife. "Grizz?" She did not even bother turning around to make sure that her faithful bodyguard was listening. "Give the kill orders for all of the Shadow Broker agents we've been gathering intel on. All of them. Now."

. . .

"No no no no no... don't stop – don't stop..." Normally, hearing that cracked, pleading, desperate note in Tevos's voice was enough to convince Aria to do just about anything. This time, it was ineffective. The constant beep from the nightstand was a bigger distraction. She stilled the motion of her hips, shuddering a little as she left the tight, clinging heat of Tevos's azure and turned toward the nightstand. Tevos gave her an incredulous, slightly hurt look. "Aria, I can't believe you! I'm going to throw your Omni-tool out of the airlock, I swear..."

"Oh, stop complaining," Aria muttered, trying to ignore the way her body was shaking. "So you have to wait two minutes for your fifth orgasm. Not the most horrible fate in the world."

She watched from the corner of her eye as Tevos slipped two fingers between her legs to take the place of her cock, probably to comfort the jarring sensation of emptiness. Tevos gave her a disapproving glare, and she had the decency to feel a little guilty. "You're terrible. I don't understand why I put up with you."

Aria didn't respond. Instead, she silently promised to make it up to Tevos once she finished her call and touched the flashing screen of the Omnitool with her clean hand. "Yes? – What? They left? What do you mean they left? I think what you mean is that you're taking one of my ships to catch that transport! Yes, now!" In a fit of rage, she threw her Omni-tool against the wall, too angry to be grateful for the expensive, protective outer coating. "The next time I see that little pureblood, she's getting a warp right in her arrogant fucking face!"

Tevos rolled her eyes at the derogatory term. "Stop swearing and back here," she said, patting the empty space beside her on the mattress. "You look ridiculous stomping around with that thing attached anyway."

Aria ignored her and continued pacing, ignoring the slightly uncomfortable way the cock shifted between her legs. "She pulled her agents! She knew I was angry at her, so she – ugh! And the worst part is, if she left anyone behind that I missed and I don't kill them, she'll know for sure that their cover is good."

"Stop throwing a tantrum and come back to bed, Aria. I'm only here for another two days."

A year and a half had passed since the official start of their "arrangement", and the rules weren't very complicated. Tevos never asked who or what Aria did while she wasn't there, and Aria didn't tell. There were no long, serious discussions about commitment. They didn't even know what to call each other or their relationship. But Aria did make an effort to give Tevos her undivided attention when they were together, and she treated her with a little more care and reverence than most of her other casual sex partners.

Whose numbers had seemed to dwindle lately, now that she thought about it…

But that wasn't because of Tevos. Definitely not. It was just a bother to go out seeking new sexual adventures when she had a warm, willing body ready to accommodate her whenever she wanted.

She sighed and turned back to Tevos, who was watching her with dark, unreadable eyes. The ache along her shaft suddenly returned, and she regretted answering her Omnitool before she had finished. Still, now that the mood was ruined, she knew that there was a very good chance Tevos might not want to continue. "Are you sure you want to have sex with me when I'm this pissed?" she asked, walking back toward the bed at a slower, calmer pace. "It probably won't be gentle."

"What kind of question is that? I'm not going to turn down more sex. Make up your mind and either put that back in me, or take it off before I start laughing at it."

Aria let out an aggravated sigh, feeling some of her anger shift to less-destructive annoyance. "I'll never understand your problem with dicks, Thea. You like it just fine when it's inside of you." All of Tevos's previous partners had been asari, which explained part of her hesitance, but Aria had to concede that Tevos had been enthusiastic when it came to accommodating her admittedly more exotic needs.

"I like it because it's attached to someone I'm attracted to. When I look at it too long while we're not having sex, I stop associating it with you and start thinking about how ridiculous it looks..."

"They look even more ridiculous in person," Aria said casually, noticing the flinch that Tevos tried gallantly to hide. She was almost too perfect sometimes. It was kind of annoying. And a bit of an unintentional guilt trip. Aria knew Tevos didn't like being reminded of her other sexual partners, past and sort-of present, but never said a word of complaint or tried to renegotiate the terms of their friends-with-benefits arrangement. Still, there were times when Aria wondered if Tevos would make those sorts of demands, given the chance...

Putting the uncomfortable moment aside, Aria glanced briefly at the Omni-tool that she had thrown against the wall. She decided that retrieving it wasn't worth the effort, especially when there was a beautiful, naked asari waiting for her in bed and she was still wearing her cock.

"All right. Flip over. All fours. You've waited long enough." Aria let the order hang between them, waiting for Tevos's response. Usually when she was in charge, which was a large percentage of the time, it went one of two ways. Sometimes Tevos liked being difficult, needling her with sarcasm and deliberately disobeying her orders. Other times, she threw herself wholeheartedly into the submissive role, letting Aria pose her, use her, and occasionally even debase her - all at her own request. It all ended the same, though, with Tevos lying beneath her or bent over something and screaming out her pleasure.

Aria was only a little surprised when Tevos immediately obeyed her, but it was undeniably arousing. She loved it when Tevos fought her, made her struggle and work to be the dominant one, but it was satisfying to see her roll over and spread her legs once in a while... or, in this case, offer herself up on her hands and knees. She perched casually on the edge of the mattress, dragging two fingers through her lover's exposed wetness. She slipped inside briefly, just long enough to make Tevos whimper, but pulled back as soon as the sound escaped.

"Ah ah. I'll give you that fifth orgasm when I feel like it. And when I do, it's going to be around my cock, not in my hand." Aria half expected Tevos to back away with a sarcastic quip or laughter, but she only shivered, not even pushing her hips back to seek the deeper penetration she had lost. "That was your last chance to laugh or make a smart remark. If you disobey me now, there will be serious consequences."


	2. Chapter 2

Even though a part of her wanted to rush forward and take what was being so willingly offered, Aria deliberately restrained herself. Acting like an eager, impatient maiden would ruin the atmosphere for both of them. Instead, she took her time admiring Tevos's body, trailing wet fingers along the small of her back and rubbing the tight muscles on either side of her spine.

"It's probably a good thing our friend Liara doesn't have any of her little spy cams in my bedroom this time," she said, keeping her voice restrained as her hand continued to wander. "I doubt the matriarchs on Thessia would appreciate seeing their precious Councilor getting fucked from behind like one of my dancers..." Tevos twitched as Aria's fingers tweaked the hardened tip of her breast. "But you might appreciate it. The thought turns you on. And you hate that it does."

Aria paused for a moment, wondering why she had chosen to narrate this particular fantasy when there were several others that would have worked just as well. She settled on the explanation that Liara's recent call had served as a reminder, and then decided not to care. "Well, don't you have anything to say for yourself?" she asked as she climbed onto the bed.

Tevos took in a shuddering breath, but remained facing the headboard. "I'll say anything you want me to," she murmured. 

Aria could not quite suppress the shiver that ran down the middle of her back at Tevos’s words. There was something about that voice that always made Aria's stomach twist into pleasant knots and her inner walls pulse with need. Maybe it was the way she annunciated every syllable, practically wrapping her lips around the words. 

"And you'll do anything I want you to," Aria said when she finally found her voice. Despite her earlier resolve to stretch things out and savor them, she indulged herself and aligned their hips. She used both of her thumbs to spread the outer lips of Tevos’s azure, nudging the head of her cock against the tight ring of muscle at her entrance. Both of them twitched at the contact. "Including beg. I would start right now if you want to get fucked anytime soon."

"I want whatever you want,” Tevos said. Aria savored the way her voice trembled as she dragged the head of her cock up and down, coating it with wetness and bumping against the sensitive ridge of Tevos’s clit. It was already swollen and slick, with the hood peeled all the way back, and she thought she saw it twitch as she passed over it. Tevos glanced back at her over one of her shoulders, and Aria could tell she was fighting to hold still. "Did you turn on – is it..."

Aria understood what Tevos was asking immediately. "The sensation transmitter is on," she purred. "I can feel _ev-er-y-thing._ " She drew the last word out, imitating Tevos’s style of speech and annunciating every syllable. "Including how wet you are. Goddess, you’re absolutely dripping..." To prove her point, Aria skimmed her hand over the wetness painted across Tevos’s inner thighs. Clear trails of warmth covered her fingertips. "Oh well. If I did happen to miss any bugs in my last sweep, I'm sure the Shadow Broker and Asari High Command will enjoy watching their precious Councilor scream for me." She smirked, gripping Tevos's hips with both hands and easing another inch of her cock forward. Her length twitched as she sank deeper into Tevos’s slick, clinging heat, but resisted the temptation to thrust the rest of the way inside all at once.

Tevos gasped, then trembled as the widest part of the flared head pushed inside of her. "Only for you,” she whispered, turning back to face the carved headboard.

"Me, and anyone else that cares to watch.” Aria paused just long enough for the muscles along Tevos’s back to relax and to get her own need under control. She hadn't lied about the sensation transmitter, and it was difficult to think clearly when she could feel slick, velvety heat clinging to her, surrounding her, trying to pull her in and keep her there with tiny, twitching flutters of muscle and deep, needy tugs. "Most politicians don't let wanted criminals fuck them like this. And they definitely don't want to come when they think about other people seeing them so deliciously vulnerable."

The words were enough, and it only took a small amount of pressure for the rest of her cock to slip inside. Both of them groaned when the muscles in Aria's legs pressed against the backs of Tevos's thighs. "That's right," Aria murmured, bending over so that she could whisper directly beside Tevos's crest, "I know all your secrets. The things that make you twitch. Make you ache. Make you come. You never let anyone else see past the cold outer shell, but I know every single kink in that twisted mind of yours. And that's your biggest fear. You're afraid of being exposed, stripped bare before someone else emotionally. And that gives me all the power."

Without giving a verbal warning, she picked up a short, driving rhythm with her hips. Purple wisps of biotic energy surrounded both of them as she reached out with her mind, slamming against Tevos's consciousness in what could only be described as a possessive mental bite. Tevos resisted instinctively at first, but then, she deliberately lowered the walls that guarded her thoughts and feelings and allowed her inside. _'Aria – please...'_

Aria seized onto the need and desire she felt flowing from Tevos, keeping up a steady stream of degrading thoughts to draw out even more. _'You're supposed to be the fucking asari Councilor. A role model. Someone fucking important. But you're here on Omega, in my bed, on your hands and knees, begging to have my cock inside you. That looks much more like a whore than a Councilor to me.'_ Through the meld, Aria could practically taste the spike of fear and arousal accompanying that word. It was one they had played with several times before, one that Tevos had even requested, but she never tired of the reactions she got when she used it.

_'Aria – I... I can't...'_

It was harder to speak outside of the union, but Aria wanted Tevos to hear and acknowledge every word she was saying, and so she made the effort to talk without the meld. It was a little strange, almost like adding an echo to her own voice as the same sentence ran through her mind. "The truth stings," she said, using slow, deep thrusts that rubbed deliberately along Tevos's inner walls. It also made her sound less like she was running out of breath. "You were on your knees sucking me off less than an hour ago. I even made you beg for the privilege and thank me for it afterward. Remember that?"

Aria sent a memory along with the words for good measure, forcing Tevos to re-live the ache in her jaw, the rub of carpet against her shins, the harsh grip of fingers against the back of her crest, pushing her head down. The ache along the shaft of her cock doubled, and she felt herself throb with fullness.

_'Goddess, Aria... We're going to – we need to...'_

"Don't," Aria hissed aloud, tightening her fingers around Tevos's hips and holding them in place as she continued to thrust. "Don't you dare make us come without permission." Unfortunately, since they were both asari, delaying Tevos's orgasm meant delaying her own as well, but Aria didn't care. The control, the power she felt through the meld, was dizzying.

Tevos's response was a crashing wave of emotions instead of words. Arousal, fear, vulnerability, and something indescribably tender that made the pit of Aria's stomach burn. It wasn't the first time she had experienced such feelings coming from Tevos, but she had never acknowledged them aloud. Even though Tevos was exceptionally skilled at walling off parts of her mind, Aria got the impression that she hadn't meant for them to slip through the cracks. She did send back a few feelings of comfort across the bond, knowing that Tevos needed small doses of reassurance and tenderness when she played the submissive. It wasn't Aria's usual style, but Tevos demanded more from her than her other lovers.

Her small moment of kindness did not last long. Aria forced herself to stop moving, causing Tevos to cry out in frustration as her steady thrusts came to an abrupt halt. She pulled all the way out, wincing a little as cold air wrapped around the length of her shaft. She desperately wanted to be back inside of Tevos, but the chance to tease her was too much to resist. _'Now. Where were we?'_ Even in her thoughts, the words carried a smug sort of lilt. "Who does this belong to?" she asked out loud, bringing her hand back between Tevos's legs to take the place of her cock. Tevos knew the answer she was looking for, but she didn't give it right away, still distracted by the unsatisfied ache. "I said," Aria repeated, curling her fingers forward, "who does this belong to?"

_'You.'_

"Out loud, like a good girl." Aria was encouraged by the wave of warmth and arousal that melted over both of them through the union. It was answered by another flood of heat coating her fingers.

"You."

Tevos's voice was trembling, unsure, but Aria decided it would have to do. She removed her hand and leaned forward, her breasts pressing tight against Tevos's shoulders. The new position gave her access to the councilor's long, slender throat, and she couldn't resist sinking her teeth in for a moment and tugging sharply. Then, she remembered why she had moved in the first place. Shifting her center of balance to one side, she brought her right hand up to Tevos's lips, tracing them and ghosting the pale tattooed stripe on her chin with a slick, shimmering thumb.

"And whose is this?" she asked as she forced her fingers into Tevos's mouth. The heavy, familiar taste and scent made her own lips twitch up in a smile as its echo hit her tongue. Tevos mumbled something that sounded like 'yours' around Aria's hand, dutifully cleaning the offered fingers with her tongue. She whimpered when they were pulled away, but the soft noise became a groan when both of Aria's hands gripped her ass.

Aria felt the pounding frustration at the back of Tevos's head, and she savored it for a moment before taking some pity and realigning the head of the cock. She pressed forward and actually felt Tevos's smile pull at her own mouth as she slipped back inside. "And these belong to...?" She gave one cheek an open handed smack, admiring the blurry purple mark she had left behind. She squeezed the other for good measure, raking her nails down the back of Tevos's thigh.

"Goddess, you!"

Aria resisted the impulse to make a joke about Tevos deifying her. She glanced down between their bodies, following the firm curve of Tevos’s backside until her eyes settled on something that caught her interest. The sight of Tevos’s azure flared open around the thick shaft of her cock was beautiful enough, but she also appreciated the intimate view she had of Tevos’s other opening.

Although Tevos was usually more than happy to fulfill any of her requests, being taken there was one firm ‘no’ that she had always given. Aria respected her boundaries, but she also could not resist testing them a little from time to time. Pushing limits was in her nature. "And this? Does it belong to me, too?" she asked, sliding her thumb down from Tevos’s tailbone until it reached its destination.

Instead of giving a response, Tevos stiffened. _'Aria...'_

Aria did not push forward, but she did not move her thumb, either. Instead, she let her other hand run up and down the sleek line of Tevos’s thigh, trying to relax her. She had been with Tevos long enough to know which limits she could test, and which she couldn't. For now, this was in the second category. They had discussed it before, and Tevos's dry response had been, "The day you give me a bondmate bracelet is the day I'll let you fuck my ass. Until then, you'll have to do without."

For a moment, Aria felt Tevos searching, sifting through her thoughts. She allowed it, letting Tevos reassure herself that her boundaries would be respected. Finally, Aria felt the body underneath hers relax, and Tevos allowed the gentle touch, sinking back into her easy submission.

"Still waiting for an answer."

"That's yours, too..."

Satisfied with Tevos's response and strangely aroused by the fact that one little touch had caused her normally articulate lover to falter, Aria began a steady pumping motion with her hips. The fingers of her right hand sparked against the councilor's sensitive bundle of nerves, her biotics glowing a faint purple in contrast with Tevos's blue skin.

"Oh fuck," Tevos blurted out, falling forward onto her elbows and burying her face in the nearest pillow. Aria sucked on her own tongue for a moment, confused when she tasted dry fabric, and then realized that Tevos had bitten into the pillowcase to prevent herself from speaking without permission again.

"One more question. Then I'll let you come."

Tevos thrashed as Aria held her hips firmly in place, unable to do anything but whimper and sob into the pillow. She might have been able to handle the cock dragging against her, but Aria's fingers flying over her clit – probably with the help of biotics – were unbearable. 'Anything. Just please let me come. For you.'

"Who owns you, whore?"

There was no hesitation. Tevos released the pillowcase from between her teeth with a gasp, sucking in air and almost choking as she tried to form words too quickly. "You do, Aria."

"Damn right I do." Aria waited a few beats, savoring her victory and the control it brought. It was delicious, almost addictive. Not dissimilar to the adrenaline spike she got whenever she killed somebody that had broken the 'don't fuck with Aria' rule. But this was much more physically satisfying, and the person within her power was a hell of a lot prettier.

She buried herself inside of Tevos to the hilt, physically and mentally, giving a little extra shove in both places for good measure as the bond deepened. She made several quick passes with her thumb, sweeping across the ridge and flicking the tip with fast, firm strokes. _'Come for me. Now.'_

Tevos didn't need anything more than Aria's permission. As soon as it was granted, her entire body seized up, tensing and shuddering as her inner walls pulsed with wild contractions. The clutching, trembling heat and the waves of lust pouring into her through the threads of the meld made Aria overflow a heartbeat later. She buried herself as deep as she could, gripping Tevos’s hips as the length of her cock throbbed and finally released. Her release flooded from the aching tip, pumping into the warmth that was wrapped so tightly around her

She bit down on her own lip, teeth digging into the purple stripe, and then decided that she wanted Tevos's flesh in her mouth instead. Rocking her hips a few more times to ease them through the aftershocks, she leaned forward and nipped Tevos's throat, latching on to the place where her neck ran into her collarbone. The possessive bite caused Tevos's muscles to ripple around her shaft all over again, and Aria’s breath hitched as they drew out another powerful spurt from deep inside of her.

Finally, their heart rates began to slow down and their hips stopped moving. The pressure and fullness faded away. Aria withdrew with a twinge of regret, but felt an even sharper pang of loss from Tevos. _'No – not yet... I – I don't want to give you up yet... Please...'_

 _'Hey, it's okay. Just lie down, roll over, and I'll... there.'_ With Tevos on her back, the muscles in her abdomen still twitching every once in a while, Aria quickly settled between her thighs. She was still so wet that pushing back inside of her was easy, and Aria hissed through her teeth as she felt herself wrapped in slick heat again. They held perfectly still, simply enjoying the sensation and lingering a little within the meld. _'Better?'_

 _'Oh yes. Just... just stay inside me for a little while. I need...'_ Tevos nuzzled in the crook of her neck, whimpering softly and burrowing deeper every few moments. Aria lazily explored the landscape of Tevos's mind, finding the raw, exposed places that were causing her to feel vulnerable and soothing them with mental touches. She didn't do this for just anybody, but she was experienced enough to know that some people needed more aftercare than others.

Besides, it was kind of nice to be needed. There was no feeling in the galaxy quite like possessing someone else, taking a strong spirit and breaking them down piece by piece before building them back up in your hands. Especially when that someone was a beautiful asari like Tevos. Intelligent, strong, compassionate…

Startled by what she was thinking, Aria broke the meld, pulling away from Tevos and retreating into the safety of her own mind. Those were definitely thoughts she was not ready to give to anyone else. She didn’t even like thinking them herself.

Beneath her, Tevos whimpered in protest. "Why did you do that?" she asked, her voice still unsteady.

"Because I wanted to.” Aria felt a twinge of guilt for brushing off Tevos's question so abruptly, but she had no idea how to answer the question without revealing too many of her worries. She removed the toy from both of them and set it on the nightstand. Cleaning it could wait. As she looked at it, she realized that she had only used this particular cock with Tevos. Even though the thought terrified her, she and Tevos were developing patterns that were startlingly similar to a relationship.

Aria’s every instinct screamed for her to leave the bedroom and run, but she recognized the incredible amount of trust Tevos had just placed in her, and she couldn't bring herself to get out of bed. "Come here," she said, wrapping her arm around Tevos's slender waist. If anyone ever caught her spooning after sex, she would be the laughing stock of the Terminus System, but she would take the risk this time.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Aria woke up to the loving strokes of a warm tongue and a deep, throbbing ache between her legs. "Goddess, Thea, how long have you been doing that?" she panted, her voice still throaty and cracking with sleepiness. Obviously, Tevos had been busy for a while, judging by the sharp twitches of her inner muscles. She was already close.

Tevos lifted her head and smiled, wiping her lips briefly with the back of her hand and sucking at her wet knuckles. She moaned her approval before resting her cheek on the pillow of Aria's inner thigh. "I was wondering how long it would take you to open your eyes. Good morning, sleepyhead. I would have preferred to wake you up with an orgasm, but I didn't think you'd appreciate a sleep-meld."

Aria was relieved and almost touched by Tevos's consideration. It was true – she didn't feel comfortable with the thought of anyone melding with her while she was asleep, and she was grateful that Tevos hadn’t taken the liberty. "Well, I'm awake now. What are you waiting for? Get to it and keep licking me, slut."

Tevos laughed and bit down sharply just below Aria's left hipbone. "Really? You're calling me a slut when you've had at least a couple hundred more sex partners?"

"You get off on it. At least, you did last night.” Aria smirked as she remembered just how powerful Tevos’s response had been.

"Yes, I did. And now it's this morning. You don't get to call me names just any old time... bitch."

"Whore."

"Psychopath."

"Psychopath?" Aria repeated, sounding almost wounded. "I actually spooned you last night. Nothing I do is ever enough for you, is it?"

"Shut up. You're much more attractive when you aren't talking."

"That's not what you said–"

"Last night, I know. But you were saying what I wanted you to say then, sweet talker. Now shut those beautiful lips and join with me."

Deciding that bossy Tevos was just as fun as submissive Tevos, Aria obediently reached out and wrapped their consciousnesses together, letting her eyes flare with bright, shining black light. Tevos's eyes flashed too, but Aria couldn't see them, because she had already bent her head and put her tongue back to work. Aria grinned when she felt Tevos's toes literally curl with pleasure as she experienced the sensation of her own tongue. She had never been able to keep her feet still during sex, even when they were wrapped around her waist.

 _'Mmhmm... just like that.’_ Aria stroked the back of Tevos's crest, forcing herself not to grip too tightly. _'I can't think of anything better than this...'_ Her mind flashed back to the night before, remembering the way Tevos had shivered at the press of her thumb. _‘Except maybe –'_

_'Don't even think it, Aria T'Loak, or I'll stop.'_

Aria let out a dramatic sigh. _'I think you really want to try it, but – Ooh! Yes, even harder around my clit... Mmmm... But you won't admit it because you think I'll be smug for the next decade.'_

'Try the next century.' Tevos smiled inwardly as Aria's hips began rocking against her mouth, seeking more of her tongue and squirming against the suction of her lips. _'Someday we'll have to try this while you're on a call, just for kicks.'_

Aria tried to laugh, but it turned into a groan as Tevos's tongue abandoned her sensitive ridge and moved down to swirl around her entrance. _'You just can't stop with the exhibitionist fantasies, can you? Kinky bitch.'_ To Aria's surprise, she felt a wave of happiness and nostalgia from Tevos along with a pulse of arousal.

_'You called me that the first time we had sex in my office. I forget what I said after that – I probably insulted you.'_

_'No, then you went down on me and I decided to keep you.'_ Aria felt herself twitch when two slender fingers pressed inside of her, and she groaned her approval as Tevos's lips wrapped around her again. _'Just – like that... Oh, more...'_

The 'more' was surprisingly gentle, a request instead of a command, and Aria could tell that Tevos was pleased with her behavior. She curled the fingers of her right hand forward, rubbing against a sensitive spot that made both of their hips buck and quiver, and dragged the nails of her left hand along the sensitive skin of Aria's inner thigh. With their bodies attuned to each other through the meld, she could feel the ache of last night's bite mark on Tevos’s shoulder, and she supposed it had inspired her.

 _'You're going to need some medi-gel yourself,'_ Tevos thought, catching glimpses of her memories from last night within the union. _'I left some nice scratchmarks on your back.’_

 _‘That’s nothing compared with the bruises on your thighs, but no one else will see those.'_ Aria felt slightly uncomfortable as she went back over her own words in her head. Why did it make her happy that no one else would see those marks? If Tevos did decide to take another lover, would she care? Could she? She really didn't have any room to complain or criticize, since Tevos had never tried to force her into an exclusive commitment.

Aria did her best to choke those thoughts off before they got to Tevos, but feared that she was only partially successful. To her relief, Tevos didn't acknowledge them. Instead, she pulled back the thin layer of skin that protected Aria's sensitive ridge and began tracing letters over the tip with her tongue. Aria was grateful that the both of the primary Thessian alphabets had letters with lots of swirls.

_'A-R-I-A'_

"I can spell my own name, thanks. That feels good, though..." Aria tightened her grip on Tevos's crest ever so slightly, enjoying the muffled squeak she caused as her fingers pressed into the dips between her lover's fronds.

_'Of course you can spell your own name. I just want to see how many words I can get through before I make you come.'_

Aria's eyes narrowed slightly. That was a challenge if she had ever heard one.

_'A-Z-U-R-E'_

"You have a dirty mind," Aria sighed as Tevos's fingers began a steady thrusting motion, ignoring the ache in her shoulders as she leaned back on her hands. She wanted a good view of Tevos's head resting between her thighs.

_'M-A-S-O-C-H-I-S-M'_

Half way through that word, Aria let out a strangled cry. "Fuck! Right now, I'd call you a sadist." Part of her wished that Tevos would just turn her brain off and lick her until she came, but she had a feeling that wasn't going to happen. Maybe this was revenge for the whole anal sex thing. Or maybe Tevos really was a sadist.

_'L-U-S-T'_

Aria bit the inside of her cheek, trying to ignore the torturous swirling patterns being painted over her sensitive bud. _'All right, that's it. Stop playing around and make me come already, or I swear your ass is going to be bright purple and you won't be able to sit for days.'_

_'E-M-B-R-A-C-E E-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y'_

Somewhere in the middle of the long string of letters, Aria threw her head back and let out a wordless scream. She felt Tevos's fingers speed up inside her, faster than physically possible, but she was too distracted to notice that the councilor was using biotics to make them vibrate. Tevos's tongue followed every jerk of her hips, still tracing letters through her own orgasm. 

_'I-L-O-V-'_

Ignoring her aftershocks, Aria began to pull back from the meld, afraid of what would happen if it continued. She forced Tevos's head up, bending over to find and take her lips in a hard kiss, silencing any protests.

Briefly, Aria considered digging in the nightstand for one of their toys, intent on pushing away whatever had just happened, but decided the pause wasn't worth it. She simply flipped Tevos over with a purple flare of biotics, pushed her legs apart, and drove forward with two fingers. The edges of Tevos's consciousness fizzed with excitement and energy, and Aria felt her mind reach out, but she didn't accept the meld this time. She couldn't. Not until Tevos was so well-fucked that both of their minds were safe and empty.

It didn't take long for both of them to come again. Aria waited until the last possible moment to meld, teeth latched on to Tevos's throat and tight heat twitching around her fingers. It was short, violent, and so intense it was almost painful, but when they folded in to each other, becoming one, Aria still found herself in the presence of feelings she couldn't – and didn't want to – name. And with slowly growing horror, she realized that not all of them belonged to Tevos.

When it was over, she didn't linger. Instead, she escaped to the shower, and was grateful when Tevos allowed it without verbal protest. The pain in her dark eyes stayed with Aria several minutes later, even after she heard the chime of the bedroom door opening.


	4. Chapter 4

Aria wasn't surprised that Tevos had left during her shower, but couldn't help feeling a little hurt at the same time. She wished that Tevos had given her a while to collect her thoughts instead of leaving so quickly - which she supposed was hypocritical of her, since she had been the one to leave in the first place. Still, it was uncharacteristic. Usually she was the one who backed away when Tevos wanted to talk.

The Reaper war had been the exception. With everything falling to pieces around them, she had given more of herself to Tevos than she had believed possible. When Tevos had cried into her jacket and grieved for Thessia, she hadn’t pulled away. When Tevos needed a gentler touch than usual, she had done her best to provide it. And when Tevos had desperately needed a distraction, she had fucked her into exhaustion and driven all thoughts of the war from her head.

Now, when she was the one feeling weak and confused, she found herself disappointed in the lack of support. She knew that they had not made any promises to each other, practically at her insistence, but she could not dismiss the nagging feeling that Tevos had abandoned her. It didn't bode well for the future if Tevos thought it was all right to run off during moments like this…

"Fuck," Aria mumbled to herself as her mind ran back over the words: 'the future'. What the hell was she thinking? Pushing that thought aside for the moment, she tried to figure out why she was angry. It didn't make sense, since she had hidden in the bathroom first, but it wasn't fair. Tevos was supposed to be the calm, rational one. The one that made up for her bad habits.

"Oh Goddess, I'm thinking about us like we're... all right, it doesn't matter. I just have to stop fucking her." Aria's body immediately made its protest to that idea known with an uncomfortable throb between her legs. "Or at least fuck her less. Then everything will go back to normal and – shit, I'm talking to myself out loud again. Maybe I need therapy." Aria's form of 'therapy' was vastly different than the usual kind, with video calls or couch sessions. It usually involved violence, explosions, sex, or all three.

Taking a swig of brandy from the bottle in her left hand, she turned back to the datapad she had been scrolling through.

_'NEWS AND VIDEO: Commander Jane Shepard of the Alliance Navy has announced her engagement to Dr. Liara T'Soni. The wedding will take place on 4.12.2188 in Armali, Thessia. Commander Shepard and Dr. T'Soni became engaged during a private holiday on Rannoch, where they were guests of Admiral Tali'Zorah vas Normandy nar Rayya.'_

Aria paused, smirking slightly. And that explained the news leak. Even if Tali hadn't been directly responsible, and that was assuming a lot, quarians weren't known for their ability to keep their mouths shut. It would only take one slip for the news to be all over Rannoch, with the rest of the galaxy following in a matter of minutes. She continued reading.

_'Following the marriage, the couple intends to divide their time between Earth and Thessia. Commander Shepard has stated that she will continue to work with the Alliance Navy and the Council in an advisory capacity, while Dr. T'Soni has been offered the presidency of the University of Serrice, one of Thessia's foremost educational institutions, at which she received the first of her graduate degrees.'_

"Of course Liara took a nerdy cover job for the whole Shadow Broker thing," Aria mumbled. Already bored, she began searching the extranet for a more interesting article. She bit her lip and snorted when she saw one by Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani.

_'Wedding of the Century: Commander Shepard engaged to Dr. Liara T'Soni'_

Well, the title didn't seem inflammatory... hoping that she wouldn't be disappointed, Aria skimmed through the first few paragraphs, pausing several lines down when something interesting caught her eye.

_'Matriarch Aethyta says she is 'thrilled' by the engagement of her daughter to Commander Shepard and claims that one of her wedding gifts will be to finance the couple's honeymoon. "The location will be expensive, but I probably won't need to shell out credits for any fancy activities like parasailing or diving and shit. They're probably just gonna fuck the whole time." However, she also called Commander Shepard an 'anthropocentric bag of dicks' for following the human custom of asking for Liara's hand in marriage. "Liara can do whatever the hell she wants. I don't see how my 'permission' or whatever matters."_

_When asked why she had decided to give a comment on the wedding when many other guests, such as Primarch Garrus Vakarian, Admiral Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, and Urdnot Wrex had refused to speak with reporters, the Matriarch said, "I feel like Liara deserves a little shit. She keeps calling me in the middle of the night about dumb stuff like decorations and the menu, and I'm fucking sick of it. Hey, kid, I love you, but talk to Miranda next time or something, yeah?" This is probably a reference to Miranda Lawson, currently a high-ranking NCO with the Alliance Military. She also declined comment.'_

Aria's sour mood lifted a bit. Maybe she could ask for Aethyta's help when she finally got around to getting revenge on Liara for the whole 'plus one' debacle. Then, her frown returned as she remembered that she still needed to figure out who her ‘plus one’ would be. There was no way around it. She had to find a date to this shindig. And it couldn't be Tevos. Definitely not. Liara, damn her, was probably expecting that, and Aria refused to give her the satisfaction. Besides, she wasn't sure if she could face Tevos yet.

"It can't be that hard to find a date, right?" she said, mostly to herself as she scrolled through her Omnitool's contact list. "I mean, if I can find someone to fuck every night of the week, I can find someone to go with me to a wedding." Aria deliberately chose not to think about the fact that her last sexual encounter without Tevos had been over a month ago, and decidedly less than satisfactory.

Over the next several minutes, Aria's theory was proven wrong over and over again. Most of the conversations started the same – excitement and anticipation when they saw that Aria was calling, and then deflating as they realized that she wanted a date instead of a quick fuck. Even her entreaties of: "It's free booze! Dextro stuff too, I'm sure," and, "Well, at least the brides are hot, right?" and "I'll blow you after the reception or something. But you have to stay for the whole thing," didn't get the desired result.

After: "You're a fucking asari Commando! You don't need to be afraid of a Justicar... right? Shit, she hasn't killed me yet, and we've crossed paths a few times..." didn't work, and the added bonus of oral sex, "Come on, I'll go down on you in the coat closet... it'll be fun!" was ineffective, she decided that a change of tactics was called for.

"Fuck, at this rate I'll be stuck with that idiot Darner Vosque. Maybe I should try someone who isn't a criminal..." she thought, realizing for the first time just how many of her past sexual partners regularly skirted the law. Few of them wanted to attend a wedding where numerous military leaders, law enforcement officers, politicians, and a Justicar would be in attendance. "Samara is really killing my chances here. Just because she wastes that rack by being celibate doesn't mean I have to."

Still scrolling through the list, Aria's eyes brightened as she settled on a name. "Hmm. That's a possibility." Her lips, which had been pressed tightly together, twitched up into a smirk. "It's been a while, but he's going anyway." Her decision made, she pressed the call button.

"Aleena? What do you want?"

"Normal people say hello, Wrex," Aria chastised lightly, hoping that her usual mask of bored disinterest hadn't slipped. "Sometimes they even add a 'how are you?' Oh, and don't call me Aleena. It's not my name anymore."

"Fine. Hello, Aria," Wrex said, sounding like a sulking asari maiden that had just been rebuked by her parents. Sometimes krogan males could be such drama queens. "So... what do you want?"

Aria wanted to groan in frustration and complain about how complicated her personal life was becoming, but forced herself to focus on her main objective: getting a date that wasn't Tevos. "Krogan appreciate getting straight to the point, right? I need a date to Shepard and Liara's wedding."

"Can't. Bakara wants to come with fifteen of the runts."

"Goddess, fifteen?"

"Only eight of them are hers."

Although most krogan pairs were socially monogamous, or had been before the genophage forced males and females to live apart, very rarely were they sexually monogamous as well. By contrast, asari had all kinds of relationships. Some took many lovers and never bonded, others were serial monogamists based on their partners' lifespans, and others stayed with only one bondmate their entire lives.

"Bakara got her own invitation though, right? We could still –"

Wrex grunted and shook his head, cutting her off. "She's pregnant again. I'm lots of things, but stupid isn't one of them. You don't leave the female carrying your child to go fool around with your asari ex-girlfriend."

"Okay, fine, I see your point. Goddess, I can't imagine having eight children and still wanting more. I had enough trouble with Liselle!" It was still slightly painful to say her daughter's name, even though the passing of the years had started to heal the wound. Aria had made lots of mistakes during her long life and done things she wasn't proud of, but Liselle had been neither. Either way, she definitely didn't want to experience the 'miracle' of pregnancy and childbirth a second time. Tevos would have to–

Aria felt the blood drain from her face, and her throat felt inexplicably dry. "Oh shit. This is bad. Wrex, look, I really, really need a friend to take me to this thing... or at least fuck me." A krogan male with an attitude problem was about as far away as she could get sexually from a mostly submissive, kinky asari, even if it didn’t run towards her usual tastes. No matter how many aliens she fucked, she always found herself drifting back toward her own kind. Asari had always been her favorite, and as much as she hated to admit it, Tevos was the best lover she had ever had. "I think I'm starting to go insane."

The slightly pixilated holo of Wrex heaved a sigh. "Sometimes I hate females. They talk about their problems too much. You've got two options Al - ... Aria. See her or don't. Pick one."

"Damn it, what has Liara told you? I'm going to slap the blue off her face!"

Wrex frowned, the muscles in his wide jaw tensing and bunching up. "Shepard is my krant, and so is Liara. Don't let me hear you threaten them again."

Aria rolled her eyes. "I won't actually hit her. Probably." That left open a wide variety of other violent methods for her to employ if Liara didn't stop fucking with her.

"Fine. I'll see you at the ceremony. Maybe I’ll even give you a dance." Many years ago, Aria had been surprised to learn that Wrex was deceptively light on his feet, and not just for a krogan. "And whatever's bothering you, figure it out like an adult instead of crying about it like a soft-skulled hatchling."

Aria growled in frustration when, for the second time in as many days, she was hung up on unexpectedly. "Damn it, I've got to stop letting people do that. And since I can't find a date, I'll just order someone to take me. That counts, right?" Still angry and wanting to yell at someone, she raised her voice and stood up from her divan. "Grizz, get over here!"

The turian abandoned his position guarding the stairs and hurried over to her side, surprised to see her on her feet and pacing instead of lounging seductively on the cushions. "Yeah, boss?"

"Do you own a tuxedo?"

Grizz's mandibles twitched. "Tuxedo?" he asked. "What's that?"

"Male formal wear for humans. I'd suggest military uniform, but..." Aria noted Grizz’s frown as she reminded him of his past. All citizens of Palaven and the other turian homeworlds were required to be active members of the military. He had renounced his citizenship and his rank years ago when he became a criminal and went into hiding on the outskirts of the Terminus system.

"Why do I need formal wear?"

"You're taking me to a wedding." Aria couldn't ignore the twinge of sadistic glee she felt when she saw Grizz's body language become decidedly uncomfortable. If she had to be miserable, she wanted everyone around her to be miserable, too.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea..."

"I'm not sure I give a flying fuck what you think. You have about four weeks to find something suitable."

The turian cleared his throat awkwardly, fingering his pistol even though there was no obvious physical threat nearby – not counting Aria, who was definitely a physical threat when she was in one of her sour moods. "Why do you need a date to this thing anyway? Can't I just go as your bodyguard and let you pick up an asari at the reception?"

"Who says I want an asari?" Aria snapped, immediately on the defensive. "I haven't been with a turian in... hmm... I’m not even sure how long it’s been." Even though she wasn't particularly interested, she shot Grizz a searing, flirtatious look, but he purposefully ignored it.

Aria heaved a frustrated sigh and gave up. "Just get the tuxedo, okay? And a smaller pistol. Goddess, if I didn't know better I'd swear you were compensating for something with that." She flung a careless hand in the direction of his gun. “And before you ask, I’ll pay for the damn thing. It’s not like I can’t afford it.”


	5. Chapter 5

Tevos sucked in a sharp, hissing breath through her teeth as the soles of her bare feet made contact with the cold bathroom floor. In addition to being uncomfortable, it was a reminder that she was no longer living on the Citadel. Heating coils had been installed underneath the floor in her old luxury apartment. She was grateful that she had escaped on the Destiny Ascension before the Reapers took control of the giant station, and she had read about the gruesome piles of corpses and machinery that littered her old home in Commander Shepard's reports, but that didn't stop her from missing it.

Aria had always hated the Citadel. Sickeningly uptight, she called it. Too many rules and not enough debauchery. But it had been Tevos's home.

She and the other councilors were currently stuck on a smaller, less technologically advanced station while the Citadel was being reconstructed nearby. Someday, after the hundreds of economies devastated by the Reaper war rebounded and resources weren't so scarce, they might be able to move back into their old homes and enjoy the small luxuries they had lost. Sparatus was a military type, so he was right at home without them, but Valern had been loud in his criticism. For her part, Tevos made do in silence, cognizant of the fact that back on Thessia, even a year and a half after the defeat of the Reapers, many asari still didn't have a roof over their heads, a shower, or a warm bed to sleep in. That was part of the reason her estate on Thessia had been converted into a refugee camp for several months after the end of the war.

As Tevos toweled off the back of her crest and wiped water droplets from her arms and torso, she thought back to her last memory of the Citadel: fire, smoke, and the horrible screams of mutated asari. If Neota had not bothered to find her in Aria’s apartment and wake her up, she might have become one of them. In those terrifying hours, her only comfort came from the fact that she had caught a brief glimpse of someone who looked like Aria boarding the Destiny Ascension shortly after she did. It had come as a relief, but it had not surprised her. Criminal or not, Aria had the credits, the reputation, and the firepower to get just about anything she wanted. 

Fucking Lidanya in the cargo hold probably hadn't hurt, either. Tevos felt her stomach twist as she remembered the glimpses of the encounter she had seen through the meld. Aria had been even rougher with her than she had been with Lidanya, desperate and a little violent, but Tevos knew Aria had done it mostly for her benefit. The guilt had faded then, at least for a few hours. Guilt for not trusting Shepard sooner, for all the lives wasted, for not putting more pressure on the matriarchs back home and forcing them to prepare instead of being a peacemaker. A year and a half later, she still couldn't shake it completely.

That was also the night Aria had promised... not to be faithful, exactly, since they weren't in any kind of relationship other than a sexual one, but to avoid melding with someone else when Tevos was near enough to know what was going on, simply because she knew that it hurt her lover's feelings. Coming from Aria, who was so unapologetically selfish most of the time, the gesture had been downright generous. Normally, she didn't give a damn about anyone's feelings but her own. By those standards, it was almost romantic.

With a start, Tevos realized that she had dropped her towel around her ankles and begun drawing lazy patterns on the lower part of her abdomen. Some asari did enjoy masturbation, either because they were relaxed enough to explore their own bodies without climax or because they enjoyed some form of orgasm denial, but Tevos had always found the exercise frustrating. She had done it when she was a very young maiden, before her first sexual partner, mostly for "practice", and on a few sporadic occasions over the years when she was so sexually frustrated that she couldn't help it. Unfortunately, it always made the problem worse despite the seductive whisper in her head that this time she would find relief and the ache would disappear.

She thought about it as she tossed the towel in the laundry receptacle built into the wall, one comfort that had been included in the otherwise primitive apartments. Continued thinking about it as she went to put on a fresh dress, and then decided she liked the feeling of wearing nothing but her own skin. Thought about it some more as she bit her lip and scanned the empty bedroom, even though she knew perfectly well that she was alone. She was sitting on the bed, still naked and undecided, when her Omni-tool began buzzing on top of the nightstand. Without thinking, she answered the call voice-only. "Aria? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Aria didn't bother with pleasantries. "You're naked, aren't you?"

"What? How did you... I mean, of course I'm not..."

"Liar. You always answer with the holo. That means you're naked."

"And how do you know so much about my Omni-tool habits? It's been three weeks since you called. I was beginning to think you had forgotten my number." Tevos had been sorely tempted to contact Aria again after leaving Omega, but a heavy work schedule combined with wounded pride had prevented her from making the first overture. But now, alone in her bedroom, she was beginning to feel remorseful. Sometimes being in love with Aria made her forget that they were not actually in a relationship. "I'm sorry, that's not fair." She swallowed, trying to loosen the lump in her throat. When she continued speaking, it was in her most professional voice. "Aria, it's come to my attention that I've been treating you more like a potential bondmate and less like a friend that I occasionally embrace eternity with."

"Hmph. Embrace eternity with? Call it what it is. A friend you occasionally fuck." It had been more than fucking recently, and both of them knew it, but Tevos decided not to poke what was obviously a sore spot.

"I'm not built for casual relationships. I've put my personal life on hold for centuries because I felt like I had some kind of higher calling..." Tevos knew she sounded arrogant, describing it that way, but waxing on about her desire to do good and improve the galaxy as a whole would be too 'soft' an explanation for Aria's taste. She would admire the assumed professional arrogance more. "But I always wanted the whole package. An asari bondmate. Maybe a few daughters. I'm not sure if that's even a realistic goal for someone like me to have, but either way, I know better than to ask for something you obviously can't give. It was wrong of me to... project. I won't make the same mistake in the future. And–" she paused, secretly grateful that they weren't holo-chatting and her expression was hidden, "–and if you'd like to keep seeing me for, you know, stress relief, I promise not to put you in such an awkward position again."

The other end of the connection was quiet for what felt like a long time. For one frightened heartbeat, Tevos was afraid that Aria had hung up on her. But then, finally, "I'll forgive you if you switch to holo. You're still naked, right?"

Tevos felt herself twitch at the idea, and only thought about all of the potential ways it could backfire for a moment. She adjusted the Omni-tool on the nightstand even though the camera would automatically lock onto its target and switched on the live holo stream. She reclined on her side, trying to look casual, and rested her cheek in the palm of her hand, propping her head up with her elbow. "There. Satisfied?"

"Very," said the life-sized holo of Aria projected beside the bed. Her Omni-tool was obviously on her wrist, because she was aiming it at something, and even though the holo wasn't real, her eyes seemed to burn. To Tevos's disappointment, Aria was fully dressed, although she wasn't sure why she had expected otherwise. Just because she was currently naked didn't mean the rest of the world spent most of their time that way. The holo also seemed to be moving up and down ever so slightly, rocking in a somewhat steady rhythm.

"Where are you?" Tevos asked, pressing her lips together as she tried to figure it out.

"Bottom cargo hold in one of my transports. It's a bit shaky. I came down here when you answered voice-only. I didn't feel like sharing you with the boys."

"I appreciate that."

"So... were you touching yourself?"

Tevos's teeth tugged uncertainly at her lower lip. "No," she answered, and even though she was telling the truth, it sounded false to her own ears.

Aria smirked. "You're such a bad liar."

"No, really, I wasn't," Tevos stammered, not sure why she sounded so embarrassed. "But..."

"But?"

"I was considering it."

Aria's smirk became a full predatory grin, her eyes narrowing seductively at what Tevos assumed was the holo version of herself. "My eager little slut. You really missed me that much, huh? Enough to touch yourself despite the fact that you can't come without me. I'm... flattered."

Tevos rubbed her thighs together, chewing on the inside of one cheek. The sheets, which didn't even have the high thread count she was used to, felt unbearable against the bare flesh of her side. She hoped her distress wasn't too noticeable. "How are you so sure I was thinking about you? Goddess, you're so egotistical sometimes."

"Because I know every inch of your body. How to touch you, make you squirm. All the ways you love to be fucked." Aria sounded unbearably smug as she said it, and Tevos watched the holo move until it was sitting on air. Obviously, Aria had found somewhere a bit more comfortable in the cargo hold. "Move your Omni-tool to the foot of the bed and prop yourself up on the pillows. I want a good view."

"But –"

"Don't make me repeat myself." The low voice and the implied threat were convincing, but Tevos knew that Aria hadn't needed to use them. Despite her token protest, she was already too far-gone to even consider disobeying. With a few shaky breaths, she abandoned her mock casual pose and did as Aria had instructed, placing the Omni-tool at the foot of the bed. The projected holo of Aria moved with it, perching on the edge of the mattress instead of sitting in midair.

"Aria..." Tevos murmured, her eyes a little fearful even as she felt an almost painful throb between her legs. It wasn't the idea of touching herself in front of Aria that frightened her, but memories of previous experiences that had left her a sobbing, shuddering mess of overstimulated nerves. That was why she masturbated so infrequently – it always ended in frustrated tears and pleas for release to an unyielding Goddess or fantasy lover. This time, the fantasy element was gone, and someone else was about to see just how desperate she could become when orgasm wasn't an option.

"Shh, don't worry so much, Thea. All you have to do is be a good girl and follow my instructions. Will you do that for me?"

Despite her doubts, she didn't hesitate. "Yes."

This time it was Aria who rubbed her thighs together uncomfortably. She let her gaze linger, not bothering to hide her admiration for Tevos's body despite the fact that she had known its flesh many times before. "Start with those gorgeous tits of yours. Squeeze them for me. Rough, the way I do when I'm about to fuck you. But don't touch your nipples. Not until I give you permission."

Tevos shifted back against the pillows, letting both of her hands glide up along her stomach until they were each cupping the swell of a breast. She had always been exquisitely sensitive there, even more so than Aria, who loved to exploit that intimate knowledge. She was surprised at how difficult it was to avoid the rapidly hardening tips. Any hope of simply touching herself at her own pace while Aria watched was gone. Aria obviously intended to lead her through every step of this dance.

"Aria..." she said again, her voice softer this time, but no less desperate.

"Mmm, I love hearing my name in that voice..."

"What voice?" Tevos asked, squeezing her breasts slightly harder than she preferred in a crude imitation of Aria's touch. She continued groping one as her other hand painted lazy circles around her nipple, teasing the bud with its absence.

"It's the same one you use when my fingers brush over your clit for the first time... there's that little jump you make with your hips, and then your voice rises about half an octave. It's almost as sexy as the low groans you make when my fingers or the very tip of my cock starts pressing inside of you, spreading you apart and filling you... but that's still not my favorite."

It was impossible not to ask. "Then which of the sounds I make is your favorite?"

"Suck on the first two fingers of your right hand for me. And make it good. Then I'll tell you."

Tevos could guess why Aria wanted her to do that, and she trembled reflexively as she imagined the slightly cold sensation that would follow each stroke of her wet fingers over the tips of her breasts, her stomach, lower... She hummed slightly as she slid her index and middle fingers between her lips, rolling her tongue around them, getting them slick. When she saw Aria's eyes focus on what she was doing with apparent interest, she made a show of it, actually pumping them in and out, hips twisting and eyes fluttering in pleasure that wasn't exaggerated.

"Fuck," Aria breathed, her hands clenching and unclenching as she resisted the temptation to reach out and touch something that wasn't really there. "All right, my favorite sound... the pleading, choked little sobs you make, crying into a pillow or against my shoulder. The ones I can only get when you're so close, hanging on the edge, and I've just denied you. Again. You can't even make eye contact with me when you make those sounds. It's almost like you're embarrassed at how needy you are. Or maybe it just feels so damn good that it's too overwhelming to keep your eyes open."

Tevos gasped around her fingers, still pumping them in and out, obviously not just sucking on them anymore, but deliberately mimicking the rhythm of sex. Even though there was no contact between her legs, her hips writhed. There was a slight pause, and slowly, she let her thighs fall open, revealing herself to the tiny camera built into her Omni-tool and Aria's appreciative gaze.


	6. Chapter 6

"You seem to be enjoying that," Aria drawled. "Since nobody likes sucking their own fingers quite that much, you must be fantasizing. What are you thinking about?"

Tevos let her fingers slide out of her mouth with a wet popping noise. "I can't –"

"You can. I'll help... touch your nipples now, with those fingers. Then, tell me what you were imagining."

It was an exercise of will to keep her thighs open, her eyes focused on Aria, and her thoughts in some semblance of order as she finally tugged the point of one breast with the spit-slick tips of her fingers. Tevos wasn't sure what she had expected – some relief, maybe – but the new stimulation only made her ache more. "I was imagining... using my mouth on you..."

"Can you be more specific?" Tevos just looked at her with glazed, lust-filled eyes. "Strapped? Not?"

"Strapped," she confessed.

"Where were my hands? On your shoulders? The back of your head?"

"The – the back of my crest, pushing me down..." She said in a tight whisper, switching her wet fingers to her other nipple and twisting it sharply.

Aria laughed. "For someone who doesn't like real dicks of any kind, you still seem to love sucking mine."

Tevos couldn't hide the purple blush burning at the points of her cheekbones. Within moments, the embarrassed flush had spread down along her neck and across her upper chest. "I do, but that's different..." It was about power and control and making someone she was attracted to feel good, but Tevos didn't have the vocabulary to explain herself. Not right now. Instead, she continued playing with her breasts and hoped that Aria wasn't in the mood to keep teasing her.

"Bring one of your hands lower, between your legs," Aria ordered, deciding to show mercy and continue with her seduction instead of teasing Tevos about her fantasy. "But don't touch yourself there. Not yet. Stomach, inner thighs, hips, everything else is good."

"But I –" Tevos swallowed the rest of her sentence, determined to hold out as long as she could. She didn't want Aria to see her become a mess of tears and pleas before she even started touching herself. Slowly, she obeyed, sliding the flat of her palm down her stomach and tracing the sensitive band of muscle stretching between her hips. She loved it when Aria's hand lingered there, teasing her before slipping lower and...

"I told you not to touch yourself yet. You're not very good at following instructions."

It took Tevos a moment to realize what she had done, and it didn't click until she registered the wetness and heat coating her fingers. "I – I didn't mean..."

"I'm going to make you pay for that," Aria said, a promise mixed with a threat. The holo was still shaking ever so slightly, probably a result of movement in the cargo hold. However, her uncomfortable surroundings hadn't seemed to stop her from enjoying the show.

Tevos watched with fascination as Aria unzipped her tight black pants and forced her fingers past the waistband. The muscles in her face twitched ever so slightly, and Tevos wasn't sure whether watching her lover touch herself made her feel less insecure or even more sexually frustrated. In fact, that was probably the reason Aria was doing it – to frustrate her. And it was working.

"Since you disobeyed, you have to go back a step. Suck on your fingers again for me. The hand you were just touching yourself with. Go ahead and get them wet first." Aria paused, tilting her chin back slightly as she rocked forward into her own hand. "You shouldn't have any problem with that. You've probably soaked the sheets for me by now."

Letting out a small groan that was half relief and half pain, Tevos's hand shot back between her legs. Aria was right, and her fingers started getting wet at first contact. She lost herself for a few moments, and only stopped when Aria tossed another order at her. "Fingers. Mouth. Now. You haven't earned that yet."

Reluctantly, Tevos removed her hand, gritting her teeth against the throb of want that pounded between her legs. Goddess, it ached. She ached. The knowledge that it wasn't going to get better only made it worse. Aria was the one who had gotten her in this state, and Aria was the only one who could do anything to fix it. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Tevos obeyed, but it was not as satisfying as she had hoped. Tasting herself on her fingers was pleasant, but it just wasn't the same as tasting Aria. 

"So, what are you imagining now? Still giving me a blowjob? Maybe after I've been inside of you?” Tevos’s hips jerked forward at that suggestion. “Or are you licking me now, sucking my clit?"

"Goddess, I don't even know... both?" Tevos murmured as she cleaned the gap between her fingers. So many images and fantasies and memories were colliding in her head that she couldn't keep them straight.

"Hmm... Both sounds good. Next time, yeah?"

"But I want you now," Tevos blurted out, abandoning her fingers completely and sitting up to stare at the holo. She resisted the strong temptation to reach out and touch it, knowing that her hand would pass right through, feeling nothing but empty space instead of the solid warmth she craved. "I – I need..."

"What do you need?" Aria asked. If anything, her unbearably smug tone made the ache worse. "I want to hear you say it. Out loud. Beg me for permission. I promise you won't regret it."  
Tevos swallowed, not sure if she could comply. She paused, but the silence only made her more aware of the way her flesh burned. Her hips were trembling, pressing up against air, and her inner walls twitched around nothing. All that, and she had only touched herself for a few moments. Goddess, the spell Aria had cast on her…

"Please..." Her voice broke in a half-sob. There was no hint of control in it. Once she forced the first word out of her mouth, the rest of her control melted away. "Let me show you how much I need you. What I want you to do to me. The things I would do to you if you were here."

Aria's hand continued shifting inside her pants, her knuckles occasionally bulging underneath the fabric as her fingers moved faster. "Do you promise to do everything I say, when I say it?"

"Yes!"

"Good." Tevos watched, transfixed as Aria's tongue swiped across her lower lip. The memories of what that tongue could do made her squeeze her thighs together and shift uncomfortably on the bed. Aria clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Ah ah, keep those legs apart. You're ruining the view. In fact, use the tips of your fingers and spread yourself for me. I want to see how much you want me. Every lip and fold of your azure. It is mine, after all. You're mine."

Tevos wasn't sure whether the breathless 'yours' she uttered actually made it past her lips or was only in her mind, but she knew that Aria felt it either way. She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek and turned her face to the side, unable to maintain eye contact with the holo as she followed Aria's command. There was something so... wanton, shameful... about displaying herself like that, especially through the Omnitool, but Aria had her too worked up to care.

Aria made an approving sound, obviously enjoying what she saw. "Mmm. Beautiful. And definitely all mine. Goddess, you're wet... But since I'm not there to make use of my body, you have my permission to touch yourself."

Those words were all she needed. Tevos's middle finger immediately zeroed in on the sensitive ridge above her opening, flicking the curved tip with just a spark of biotics to help things along. She couldn't bring herself to stop, even though she knew she would only experience frustration once she hit the impenetrable wall.

It didn't take long. Between the foreplay, the burning heat of Aria's eyes, and the knowledge that she was being watched, Tevos found herself rocketing toward the brink instead of simply climbing. Not waiting for permission, she sank two fingers inside herself, curling them forward and twitching as she scraped the sensitive spot that Aria always seemed to find with unerring accuracy. Her thumb settled in to place, rubbing in furious circles.

"That's right," Aria murmured, although Tevos didn't need the encouragement. "It's my thumb rubbing against you. My teeth on your neck." Tevos deliberately exposed the column of her throat to the empty air, hips jerking as she remembered previous marks left there. "My hand taking you. I love the way I fill you, stretch you with just two of my fingers. So tight, fluttering and bearing down..."

"Goddess, Aria, I can't." _Can't stop, can't keep going, can't come..._ Tevos wasn't sure what she meant. She felt the tendrils of her consciousness reaching out, desperately searching for something to wrap around. Her eyes flashed black, but her expression remained stuck somewhere between fear and bliss as she grasped at... nothing. There was nothing. Aria's soul wasn't there to twine with hers. Just blank space.

Tevos knew that reaching out again wouldn't produce a different result, but couldn't help herself. She needed to meld. Without anything to latch on to, she felt like she was falling, clawing through empty air. But there was no soothing mind to sink within. No one to hold her. No adoring mate to catch her. She screamed, the thrusts of her hand coming even faster, deeper, so hard it was almost painful. She barely noticed. It was nothing compared with the agony of being denied the Union.

"Aria... please... Goddess, please, just... just Join with me, I need you – I need... It hurts!"

But she couldn't deny that, although it hurt, it also felt incredibly good, and she couldn't have stopped the motion of her hand if she tried. "Open your eyes," Aria said, her own voice sounding more than a little urgent. "Look at me, Thea. I'm here, okay?"

But she wasn't there. She was lying. Tevos reached out again, kept searching for her, but there was still nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing…

With great effort, she forced her eyes open. Aria wasn't sitting on the bed. Her hand was no longer buried between her thighs and she was walking – granted, walking in place, since the holo's camera wasn't moving – but moving rapidly. "You're on screen, not holo, with wireless sound feed going directly to my translator. No one will see or hear you."

Tevos couldn't find the strength to care. It didn't matter if the entire world saw the display she was putting on, as long as something stopped the aching and the throbbing and the wanting and, "Oh, fuck me..." That was when the tears started. Tears that burned as they squeezed from her eyes and trailed over her cheek markings. If her irises hadn't been shining black, their regular green color would have been tinged with irritated redness.

"Is it wrong to think that's hot? That I made the calm, collected asari councilor cry because she wants me to fuck her so bad?" the holo of Aria whispered.

"I – I'm sorry, I just... need–need you here, inside me... it hurts," she repeated for the second time, the stinging pinch of embarrassment adding to the deep, pounding ache. She began adding even more pressure behind her thrusts, clinging to the desperate but impossible hope that somehow, some way, she would be able to climax without Aria, no matter how farfetched it seemed.

There was more muttering from the irritated looking Aria holo, but Tevos only caught the tail end of it. "-Two thousand credits. Keep the chit. Just let me… Hang on, sweetheart. Just a minute. Three thousand. Am I speaking your language, Volus? I have a keychip... See? Goddess, I'm gonna – Fuck you! No, I'm not going through security! Seriously, four thousand and I _don't_ tear your head off with my biotics, you mask-breathing little vermin. Do we have a deal?" Then, in a softer voice, "One more minute, I swear."

The words blurred together and didn't make sense. Aria might as well have been speaking gibberish. All Tevos knew was the ache, the emptiness, the need to be filled and possessed mentally as well as physically. She did latch on to one phrase. _'Hang on, sweetheart...'_ Aria had never called her that before. Not anything close. Whore, sometimes. Slut, often. Thea even more frequently. Even 'kinky bitch', which was almost a term of endearment between them. But not sweetheart.

It was enough to dull the pain for a few blissful moments, and then the throbbing seemed to double, and she screamed until her throat burned. She couldn't touch herself anymore. She had rubbed herself raw. Instead, she cupped her wet hand between her legs and just pressed, shuddering and hoping it wouldn't take too long for her need to fade.

A whoosh followed by a faint chime came from somewhere in the apartment, but it barely registered. Tevos curled into a ball, legs rubbing together, not caring what angle the Omni-tool's camera picked up. Her body twitched with what should have been aftershocks while her mind kept reaching, searching, groping forward through darkness and desperately trying to find her lover.

The sound of the bedroom door opening was enough to make Tevos look up. Aria was standing there, looking furious and turned on at the same time. Somehow, she managed to get off the mattress, find her balance, and sprint toward the doorway on soft bare feet. She didn't bother asking for permission, couldn't even manage an 'Embrace Eternity'. They collapsed into each other, Aria with her back against the wall, and as soon as their lips collided, it was enough physical contact for the meld to start.

_'Goddess, you're here –'_

As they slid deeper in to each other.

_'I'm here–'_

_'You're here and I needed you...'_

As thoughts and feelings tangled together.

_'We needed –'_

_'- it so much and we...'_

Until breaths and heartbeats were in sync, and Aria felt every shudder of unreleased tension in Tevos's body.

_'... Sorry, tried to–faster–'_

_'And it hurt and–'_

_'I've got you now.'_

She didn't even need the pressure of Aria's clothed thigh or the strong, gloved hands on her naked hips, guiding her back and forth along the rapidly dampening leather. The Union through the kiss was enough.

_'I've got you...'_

For all Tevos's screaming earlier, her peak was so powerful and desperately needed that her throat stopped up and she couldn't make a sound. The force of the orgasm sent her buckling forward, but Aria's arms caught her even as her hips jerked in shared pleasure.

_'Got... you...'_

Somehow, Aria managed to lower their shaking bodies onto the floor. Even though their orgasm couldn't have lasted that long, she was covered in sweat beneath her clothes. She did manage to wiggle out of her jacket before Tevos clung to her too tightly. "Okay. Okay... That was-fuck," she panted in between breaths, ignoring the rapid rising and falling of her chest. Tevos didn't say anything. She just whimpered against Aria's neck, her face stained with tears, burrowing deeper into the mind that she had wanted to become one with so desperately.

"I think the bed would be... more comfortable..." Aria suggested, sucking big gulps of air into her lungs. Tevos didn't answer. Speech was still beyond her. The invisible walls she normally kept up when they melded were weak and shaky, and Aria knew that, if she wanted, she could have broken through. She didn't even test it by pushing against them. Instead, she brushed a few tears from her lover's cheeks and helped both of them to their feet.

Tevos clung tightly to the meld and Aria's upper arm, unwilling to let either one go. She allowed herself to be led to the bed, but continued holding her fingertips against the bare strip of skin above Aria's pants as she was pressed backwards. A soft sound of protest escaped when Aria pulled away and she felt the meld start to fade a little. "Hey. Thea? It's okay. I'm just taking off my clothes. You ruined my favorite pair of pants."

_'Payback... for my dress...'_

"Ah, she speaks," Aria taunted, a little shakily. She had to do a few hip wiggles to squeeze out of the tight leather pants, but once she was free, she held them up for inspection. "Goddess, you were only rubbing against me for a minute, and the thigh is soaked."

_'I'll have them cleaned. And you have at least eight identical pairs of pants like that. Stop complaining.'_

Aria sighed. "I think I liked it better when you were too worn out to talk." The rest of her clothes were discarded in much the same manner as the pants, while Tevos kept finding new patches of bare skin on her body to rest her hands against. The meld needed skin contact to begin, and although it could be maintained for a little over a minute without touching, it would eventually start to fade.

"Come to bed. Hold me. Please?"

"Of course. You think I came all this way for one orgasm?" Aria asked as she climbed onto the mattress, allowing Tevos's arms and legs to wrap around her. "Hmm. That pretty throat of yours is looking awfully bare. None of my marks are left."

"That's what happens when you stay away for three weeks."

Since she didn't feel like arguing, Aria took Tevos's chin her hands, nibbling briefly at the pale stripe on her bottom lip and then moving her teeth lower. "Then hold still and let me fix it." Tevos didn't hold still, but Aria did end up leaving several love-bites and a few pleasant bruises in more than one place.


	7. Chapter 7

"It's not being nosey. I'm just bored," Aria said to herself as she waited for Tevos to finish in the shower. She had been banished back to the bedroom when their third attempt at showering together had proven ineffective. It wasn't that Aria regretted waylaying Tevos against the bathroom counter and forcing her to watch their reflection as she brought them both to a shattering climax in front of the mirror, but they had ended up even messier than before.

Being a gracious host, Tevos had allowed Aria to use the shower first – by herself, she insisted, or they would never be presentable again – and was only now taking her turn. That left Aria in the uncomfortable position of waiting in Tevos's apartment with nothing to do. She didn't feel like turning on her Omnitool, since that meant she would have to deal with messages from Sheerk and Grizz trying to figure out where she had gone.

Tevos's Omni-tool, however…

To her credit, Aria held out for fifteen galactic standard seconds before her curiosity got the better of her. Omnitool in hand, she typed the alphanumerical password she had memorized after many nights spent watching Tevos enter it in. A year and a half later, the councilor still hadn't broken her 'no Omnitool in bed' habit. She was also a hypocrite, since she nagged Aria about the exact same thing. In those moments, anyone watching probably would have suspected them of being bondmates of at least a century.

Once the password was verified, all of Tevos's low-priority messages, non-secure files, the extranet, time-wasting games, vid logs, and search history were open to her. "Asari vs. Krogan? Really?" Aria laughed as she looked at the high score list on one of Tevos's games. It was a tower defense program, one where a group of asari commandos had to defend their base against a horde of advancing krogan grunts. She closed out of that window, deciding that there had to be more interesting personal tidbits to uncover. 

On a whim, she checked Tevos's Omni-tool chat logs, and was pleased to see that her history was set on a twenty-hour scrub cycle. Of course, she could always prevent her calls from being recorded with the touch of a button, but Aria suspected that Tevos had been too distracted to remember last night…

She smirked as she opened the vid of Tevos's most recent call, clicking forward until she got to the end. Goddess bless whoever had invented motion-tracking cameras, she thought as she watched a very naked, enthusiastic Tevos pin her against the wall. She paused the vid, forwarded a copy to herself, and then deleted it.

"Okay, let's see what else she has in here..."

It took Aria all of a minute to find Tevos's not-very-carefully hidden stash of porn. "Vaenia? Really? Too vanilla." Aria conveniently ignored the fact that she also owned Vaenia – the collector's edition, in fact. And the Blue Azure soundtrack. She wasn't ashamed. "Come on, where's the kinkier stuff? Aha... Athame's ass, do you think you have enough bondage porn saved on this thing, Thea? Wait, 'Cheap Illium Whores 7'? That's not your style... You like bad romance novels and the mushy vids that at least pretend to have a plot." But after opening the file and watching sixty seconds of an asari being expertly hogtied, she decided that maybe Tevos was on to something. Vids 1 through 6 weren't included, and the tagline below probably explained why: 'The All-Asari, All The Time Edition'.

After a couple of minutes, Aria got bored of browsing Tevos's porn files, although she had added 'Cheap Illium Whores 7' to her mental extranet shopping list. She was about to go digging through her photos next when an alert popped up with the golden-booted messenger icon. Apparently, Tevos had mail. Whether out of curiosity or instinct, Aria clicked on it.

_TO: CLLR T. TEVOS  
FROM: SHA'IRA  
SUBJ: THE WEDDING  
Thea,  
I'd love to go with you. I'll even take you up on that open-ended invitation to stay at your estate. The usual room, right? Call me later.  
Sha'ira_

Aria was speechless. She stared open-mouthed at the message window, not sure whether she was furious, hurt, or just empty inside.

_'I'd love to go with you...'_

"Well, it's not like we could go together anyway," Aria reasoned aloud, shutting down the Omni-tool and carefully setting it back where she had found it. "I mean, fuck, the asari councilor can't face the paparazzi on the arm of the biggest criminal in the Terminus system. It would be career suicide." 

But Sha'ira? Did Tevos have to bring her?

_'The usual room, right?'_

Just how well did Tevos know the consort, anyway? Aria hadn't ever visited her Thessia estate, and she definitely didn't have a 'usual room'. She felt a stab of insecurity as she wondered whether 'the usual room' meant Tevos's bedroom.

Aria had never experienced Sha'ira's legendary services for herself, but all the reviews she had heard were glowingly positive. Her appointment book read like a Galaxy's who's who list from Westerlund.

Sha'ira only became sexually intimate with a small number of her clients, but the ones she did grace with her services were even more elite. Septimus Oraka, for one... the crusty old bird might be past his prime now, but years ago, he had been one of the handsomest, most powerful turians in Palaven's military. She also had Councilor Sparatus by the ear – or, more likely, another extendable body part. And turians weren't even her usual preference. Several powerful matriarchs had fallen under the consort's sway, and according to the rumors, even the great Commander Shepard had embraced eternity with her as a reward for a personal favor before meeting T'Soni. It didn't get much more famous than that.

_'Call me later.'_

The identity of Tevos's escort wasn't the only thing that gnawed at her – the tone of the message had also been undeniably familiar. Had Tevos slept with her? Enjoyed it? Did her own skills measure up? And most importantly, why did she even care?

"Fuck."

"Again?" came a voice from the direction of the bathroom. "I have to go to work eventually, you know." 

Aria felt her chest burn as she turned to look at Tevos, who was standing in the doorway with a towel tied around her hips. "It can wait. I can't."

"Aria, I –" Tevos tried to protest, but found herself backed against a wall for the second time in the past day as Aria's eyes flashed black.

. . .

"So, you're really letting Sha'ira come to your wedding?"

Liara frowned, adjusting the bedsheets underneath her arms to make sure they were covering everything. She gave the screen of her Omni-tool a disapproving scowl. "Aria, why are you calling me this late? I'm busy. And is that a bottle of Serrice Ice?"

Aria ignored the question and took another swig from the expensive bottle. She was not entirely sure why she had called Liara in the middle of the night, but she had a suspicion: just like Tevos was becoming more and more like a bondmate despite her best efforts, Liara was becoming more and more like a friend. She wasn’t sure which thought disturbed her more. Eventually, she set the brandy aside and returned her attention to Liara’s angry face. "I don’t think you should let her come. She fucked your bondmate. So you shouldn't invite her. Right? Just... un-invite her."

"I can't just un-invite someone," Liara said, throwing up her hands in exasperation and dropping the covers she had been clutching just below her neck. "And who are you to tell me who I should and shouldn't invite to my own bondmate ceremony?"

For a moment, Aria's expression brightened. Her eyes widened, and then narrowed in a pointed leer. "Nice tits."

"Oh, Goddess," Liara muttered, bunching up the covers again. "You are impossible. Why do you care so much about Sha'ira? I don't. I had only known Shepard for all of two days when she assisted the Consort."

"Well... your bondmate's fling is currently fucking my girlfriend, so – I mean... she's not my girlfriend..." Aria said in a panicked rush, taking another large gulp from the bottle. "I don't have a girlfriend. I'm fine alone. I don't need anyone..." A confused, drunken pause. "Does that mean we slept together, in a weird way? Since, you know, you fuck Shepard on a regular basis, and Shepard embraced eternity with Sha'ira, and Sha'ira..."

"No. Just... no," Liara stammered, her face heating up behind the freckle markings.

Aria laughed, nearly spilling brandy over the lip of the bottle. "Aw, you're blushing. I bet Shepard gets off on that whole virginal act."

"I've killed a lot of people, Aria. Do you really want to be added to the list?"

Aria was too drunk and too depressed to appreciate the threat. "I honestly don't care. It doesn't matter. Nothing fucking matters anymore."

For a moment, Aria sounded so despondent that Liara actually felt sorry for her. She might have even been crying, but Liara couldn't tell. "Have you ever stopped to think that maybe the problem isn't with Sha'ira? This is guesswork on my part, but I think Tevos feels something for you. Otherwise, she wouldn't keep coming back. You treat her horribly."

"What else am I supposed to do? Settle down and play house like she wants? Date nights, amateur Skyball league, and driving a hovercar full of brats to their biotic gymnastics lessons? I'm not bondmate material, Liara. I'm a criminal that isn't above killing people or fucking people to get what I want."

"I never said you had to be the perfect traditional bondmate, Aria. Just be there. At its heart, a commitment only means that you care about someone enough to promise you'll be there the next morning. It doesn't always have to be some big symbolic gesture or a refutation of everything you are."

"And if she wants me to stop sleeping with other people?"

"Then that's the price of admission, and you have to choose whether you want to pay it or not. Think of it as gaining her instead of losing something else. You do want her to be yours, right?"

Before Aria could come up with a decent response, someone else intruded on the conversation. Unfortunately, Shepard wasn't visible on Liara's cam, and only her voice was audible. "Liara! Are you coming in the shower or not? I did promise you at least twenty minutes of oral or two orgasms, whichever comes first..."

Aria forced a burst of strained laughter through her tight throat. "Nice, Shepard! Comes... first..." She nearly choked on another mouthful of brandy. "Goddess, I hate puns. That isn't even funny..."

"Who was that, hon? Hang up on them and bring your sweet blue ass in here!"

Liara sighed and sent a longing glance toward the shower. "You and Tevos obviously have some issues to sort out on your own. I'll see you in two weeks. Think about what I said."

"But –"

"Two weeks."

"Liara!"

"Coming! Do you want me to bring –" Aria never got to hear what Liara offered to bring, because she hung up on her midsentence, only offering a teasing glimpse of her bare back before the call ended.

Aria dropped the bottle of brandy onto the floor and buried her face in her hands, ignoring the sticky mess and shattered glass. "Well, fuck." There wasn't really much else to say about the situation. She was in love with someone – love was one of the greatest weaknesses a person could have, in Aria's opinion – and not just any someone. She was in love with someone unattainable, someone who didn't see her as bondmate material. And now Tevos was chasing the consort. Suddenly, Aria found herself missing her brandy.

"She'd be better off with Sha'ira anyway," Aria muttered gloomily, debating whether or not to drown her sorrows with another bottle. There was always the cheap, trashy Thessian Red she kept on hand for emergencies like this. It would be a lot less expensive than another bottle of Serrice Ice, anyway. "Better off with someone that doesn't run the largest criminal empire this side of the Serpent Nebula. Someone that can give her a future and shit. Not me. I'm terrible for her. And fuck, now I'm talking to myself again."

That was it, then. She couldn't keep seeing Tevos. Except they would have to interact with each other at the wedding... and she would be forced to watch Sha'ira spending time with the asari she wanted...

"I could always just not go." But Aria's pride, no matter how bruised and battered, wouldn't allow her to give up without a fight. If there was one thing she was good at, it was being selfish. She would take the next two weeks and regroup. Think through her options. Reassess the situation. Decide what to do.

Then she'd... what? Steal Tevos back right from under Sha'ira's nose? Get down on her knees and proclaim her love like in some terrible romance holo? Real life didn't work like that. But there had to be a way.

_'At its heart, a commitment only means that you care about someone enough to promise you'll be there the next morning.'_

That didn't sound so scary. If she was being honest with herself, she and Tevos were well past that point already. They had been acting and functioning as a couple for at least a year, and they had been intimate long before that - since the Reaper invasion of Thessia had driven Tevos into her arms for more than just sex. Things had only gotten worse since then. Even when one of them temporarily cut off contact for work or some other reason, there was still the expectation that, eventually, the other would call or visit. By Liara's definition, they had already made a silent commitment. All Aria had to do was voice it.

Now, she just had to figure out how.


	8. Chapter 8

"Boss, what is that you're wearing?"

Aria didn't bother turning around to answer Grizz's question. She continued staring at her ass in the mirror, checking the fit of her pants. "Grey pinstripe pantsuit. Human clothes. Figured since one of the brides is human, this would go over well."

"But there are so many layers. Almost as many as I have." Grizz tugged sadly at the stiff collar of his tuxedo, obviously unhappy in his newly purchased attire. Turian fashion was rather Spartan, and had been for centuries, and so wearing the formal clothing of another species, especially one with so many pieces, made him feel uncomfortable.

"Oh, stop bitching. Check the front. Good?" Aria turned around, treating Grizz to a fantastic view of her breasts. Although they were covered, she had the shirt and jacket buttoned well below her cleavage. To his credit, Grizz didn't stare. He gave her a full up-and-down, but really did check for any wrinkles, stains, or tears along the way. "I swear to the Goddess, you just need to admit that you're gay already and be done with it."

Even though Aria came from a monogendered species with a wide range of sexual practices and preferences, 'gay' wasn't too difficult a concept to grasp, but the notion of attaching shame to sex baffled her. In asari culture, the closest she could come to 'gay' or shame in sex was a union between two asari. Aria had always found the prejudice against such relationships stupid, especially since their ancestors had bonded with each other millennia before they came in contact with other races. She only used pureblood as an insult toward Liara because she liked the way it made the pretty maiden's face twitch. It was also a nice, easy way to score a hit on someone who had outmaneuvered her in the past. However, she resolved not to call Liara any names on her bonding day.

"Oh! I almost forgot. This thing came in the bag. What do I do with it?" Grizz held up a small black ribbon, and Aria smirked.

"That's a bowtie. Here, let me tie it for you." Her nimble fingers made quick work of the bowtie, although Grizz's mandibles got in the way more than once. Eventually, it was tied and tucked in properly. He looked positively miserable, and Aria couldn't help laughing at his discomfort. The humans had a word for the feeling that she had learned to appreciate – schadenfreude.

"How come you don't have to wear one of these?" Grizz asked, tugging forlornly at the bowtie and sulking at the fact that Aria wasn't suffering along with him.

"I have something similar called a tie, but wearing it means I'd have to button the collar of my shirt." Aria paused, thought about all the bondage porn on Tevos's Omni-tool, and then made a quick decision. The tie would probably come in handy if her plan to steal Tevos back from the consort was successful. "Fine. I'll wear it in a show of solidarity." With only a little reluctance, Aria did up several more buttons and headed for the hotel room closet. The tie was waiting for her on a hanger, and she wondered if she had been planning to wear it all along. "Here, Grizz. Watch and learn." 

Aria did up her tie expertly while Grizz tried and failed not to look impressed. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

"Better you don't ask." Hopefully, Grizz would assume she had learned it from taking off the ties of the "many" (not really that many) humans she had seduced instead of the much more boring reality – watching how-to videos on the extranet. There was no denying that she had planned to wear the tie all along now.

"Are you sure I'm allowed to bring this?" Grizz pulled back the lapel of his tuxedo jacket to reveal the handle of his pistol.

"Shepard's letting everyone carry. Wouldn't be fair otherwise, with all the biotics that are going to be there." Aria's form-fitting pantsuit left no room to conceal a weapon, but she was confident that her biotics could take care of any unpleasant situations she might find herself in. And if they didn't, Grizz would be there with his piece. "Oh! That reminds me. Almost forgot..." She reached in to her pocket and pulled out the only item she had bothered to carry on her person besides her credit chit.

Since Grizz's mandibles didn't allow him to frown, he twitched them with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "Is that a remote?"

"Yep." Aria began pressing buttons, biting down on her lower lip as Grizz tried to figure out what she was doing. It took him several moments to notice the rapidly growing bulge underneath her pants.

"Seriously?" he said, the flange in his voice picking up his exasperation. "And you wonder why I don't want to sleep with you."

Aria was too refined to pout, but she did aim a swat at Grizz's head and let her fists flare briefly with biotics. "Aw, you're no fun. This is just... insurance." For someone who professed to dislike cocks, Tevos definitely went a little crazy whenever she saw hers. If everything went according to plan...

In reality, Aria didn't have a plan. Normally, she prided herself on being prepared for anything and plotted all her moves in advance, but this time, she was flying blind. She had no idea what she was going to do or say, and all of the unknowns made her nervous. She figured packing a little confidence in her pinstripe pants couldn't hurt. "Hey, stop staring at it. You claim you're not gay, but you seem awfully interested." Aria knew better than anyone that using sex toys didn't make you gay, straight, or anything else, but she couldn't resist pulling on Grizz's mandibles a little since teasing Liara was off-limits to her for the day.

Grizz didn't bother responding to her comment. He knew better.

"All right, enough eye candy for you. Let's go." With another few button presses, Aria made the shaft retract until it wasn't noticeable anymore. The weight between her legs remained the same, since the density was only being compressed. While reading through the specs on the extranet, Aria had wondered why anyone would want to shrink the toy to such a discreet size, but she had to admit that it was a useful feature – small enough to fit in tight, clinging female pants, and big enough to make a krogan feel insecure later. Of course, she wouldn't be using that setting with Tevos. Aria suspected that she would run out of the room screaming if she saw how big this new model could actually get. She'd only add an extra inch or so, just to make sure Tevos really felt it later...

"Boss?"

Aria blinked, snapping out of her fantasy. "What?"

"You wanted to go?"

"Oh. Right. Let's go. Remember to smile for the paparazzi, okay?" Grizz's expression only fell for a moment before he offered Aria his arm. She didn't notice, brushing past him and stepping out into the hallway. She actually didn’t mind the thought of the photographers taking her picture this time. Her suit was starting to grow on her.

. . .

"All right, what's the plan?"

"The plan?" Liara repeated, standing perfectly still and poring over a datapad while Tali laced up the back of her traditional robe with silky purple-blue ribbons.

"I'm not stupid, Liara.” Miranda Lawson stood in front of them both with her arms crossed and her hip cocked. "You're running through a mental checklist of everything, and everyone, that might go wrong during the ceremony. Let me help. Tali is busy being your Maid of Honor, and you have to admit that my talents are... expertly suited to this kind of situation."

Although Miranda had originally been slated to be one of Liara's bridesmaids, along with Tali, EDI, and Urdnot Wrex (who refused to call himself a bridesmaid, but took great pleasure in the entire thing), organizing the wedding had eventually become so overwhelming that the Normandy's former XO surrendered her post and took up the mantle of Wedding Planner extraordinaire instead. 

Shepard's attendants were Garrus, Ashley, and Joker, since he had been with all of them from the very beginning. Kasumi, Samara, and Jack had been on the short list as well, but the thief and Justicar didn't want to draw unwanted attention to themselves, and Jack absolutely refused to wear formal clothes. Instead, the ex-convict was "helping" Miranda while Jacob had taken charge of the on-site security. It was a big and important job, since the media had shown up around the T'Soni estate in full force days ago. Grunt had his own special part to play in the ceremony, and was almost more excited about the wedding than the brides.

"All right," Liara confessed. "I do have a list. How did you know?"

"We think alike. Both of us live and breathe lists." As Tali continued dexterously weaving the ribbons with her gloved hands, Miranda reached out to take the datapad from Liara. "You don't need that. I've gotten you this far. Let me handle it. I promise everything will be taken care of."

"But –"

"No buts. Who do I need to worry about?"

Liara sighed. "My father," she said immediately. "I just know she's going to – not ruin the wedding, but... something embarrassing."

"Already on it." Miranda keyed a number into her Omni-tool and smiled when Jack's face popped up on-screen. "Jack, ready for your assignment?"

"You got it, Princess." Since the war was over and Cerberus no longer existed, Jack had swapped out her patented 'Cerberus Cheerleader' insult for other monikers that were just as annoying, but less tinged with death and betrayal. "Whose face do I need to melt?"

"I want you to keep an eye on Matriarch Aethyta. I'm sure the two of you will have... plenty in common. Make sure she doesn't moon the press, offend some important dignitary, or try to seduce the waitstaff."

"Really? No shit!" Jack let out a raucous laugh. "This'll be good. You got it, I'll send you reports."

Miranda sighed and shook her head. There was just no dealing with Jack sometimes. "Try not to include any images of private body parts in those reports this time, please. Actually, don't report at all unless there's a problem I have to fix. I trust you."

"You're no fun. Fine, I'm on it. She's in one of the back rooms waiting for Liara."

"Right. See you in five." Miranda ended the call. "Next, Liara?"

"Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani. I know she and Shepard have reached a sort of 'truce', and you issued her a press pass, but I'm still wary..."

"Consider it done." Miranda pulled up another number in her contact list. "Kasumi? Ready for your assignment?"

"You bet, Miranda. Lay it on me."

"That reporter, al-Jilani. I want you on her like glue. Cloak if you need to... make sure her Omnitool and her extranet connection start malfunctioning if things go sour."

Kasumi gave a sharp salute and grinned beneath the shadow of her hood. "Easiest mission I've ever gotten... finding a hunky boy to take home will be the real challenge. Too bad Jacob's married, he looks incredible in his suit. Kasumi out."

Miranda was pleased to see that Liara was already starting to look less harried. In fact, the asari maiden seemed to be glowing with happiness again. Or maybe it was just nervous biotics. "Anything else?"

"Well... Aria T'Loak called me in a drunken fit crying about her girlfriend."

"Aria T'Loak?" Miranda blurted out as Tali exclaimed, "Girlfriend?" She dropped the ribbons she was weaving in surprise.

"I shouldn't have said anything. Tali, you have to promise not to spread this one around. It has serious political implications for the asari government."

The quarian tried to look offended, but her mask in combination with her position behind Liara made it impossible. "Fine, fine, I promise. But tell me!"

"She's been seeing Councilor Tevos."

"Keelah! That's... I don't even know what to say," Tali stammered.

"You're sure?" Miranda asked.

Liara blushed as she remembered the encrypted 'proof' tucked safely away on her private terminal. "Intimately sure. Anyway, Tevos is being escorted by someone else, and Aria might be looking to cause trouble. Jacob could use a warning, at least."

"I'll send him a message," Miranda said, typing furiously on her Omni-tool. "He'll take care of it, and I can bring in Samara if she gets out of line. Even Aria T'Loak would think twice about causing a scene in front of a Justicar."

Liara exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Miranda. Goddess, you've been... I can't begin to say how much I appreciate everything you've done for me."

Miranda looked flustered for a moment, and then smiled. "You're welcome. It was my pleasure."

The two shared a knowing look for a moment until Tali interrupted them. "There, you're finished," she said proudly as she stepped back and guided Liara by her bare shoulders to stand in front of the mirror. Then, she used her Omnitool to create a second reflection so the bride could see her back. The complex ribbon patterns were traditionally woven by a mother, sister, or close female friend, and Tali was more than willing to participate in the ritual.

"It's... it's perfect. Thank you."

Liara took another breath to give a similar speech of thanks to her friend, but Tali had something else in mind. "Wait, I have one more thing to show you first. My wedding gift."

"But the wedding hasn't started yet," she protested.

"No, this is a special one.” Tali hurried over to a nearby dresser and pulled out an armful of fabric. "You'll need it before the ceremony starts." Liara gasped as Tali, with a little help from Miranda's long arms, unrolled a large, beautiful quilt. The overall pattern was made of pieced-together wheels, but in the center of each wheel was a square of white fabric with a short message.

"Oh, Goddess... I – I can't..."

"I hope you don't mind, but I thought you and Shepard would enjoy adding a little quarian tradition to your wedding. Right after vows, both of you go underneath and wrap yourselves in it to symbolize the new life you're starting together. Then, it goes on your marriage bed."

"Each of the squares was written by a member of the Normandy's crew, past and present," Miranda added. "Of course, mine's the best. We even added squares for the ones who didn't pull through. I'm sure they're watching this day and smiling."

Liara was speechless. She opened and closed her mouth, her eyes swimming with tears of love and gratitude. "I don't... don't know what to say... this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Thank you!"

Tali gently folded the quilt back down and tucked it under one arm. "You're welcome. But you don't need to thank me for this one. The real work begins when I start putting together your firstborn's baby quilt."

Before Liara could come up with some sort of response, Miranda's Omni-tool chimed. "Tali, why don't you take Liara to the waiting room with her father? Tell Jack I'll meet you all in a minute." With the quilt still tucked against her side, Tali herded the stunned and tearful bride out into the hallway. As soon as they were out of earshot, Miranda opened the flashing chat window. "Jacob. What's happening?"

"Aria T'Loak just made her entrance. In a pinstripe suit. I could use some back-up."

Miranda closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. She supposed it was too much to ask for everything to run smoothly today, but at least Liara wouldn't have to worry about it. Not while she was in charge.

"I'll take care of it. Just make sure nothing gets... violent."

"Might be too late for that, Miri. Hurry your ass up."

Jacob didn't need to tell her twice.


	9. Chapter 9

Over the centuries, Aria had gotten lots of practice passing through loud, boisterous crowds with her head held high. She could play the cold, regal queen, the ruthless murderer, and everything in between to perfection. It was one of the reasons she was so dangerous. But this time, her insides were shaking so badly she almost couldn't make the walk from her hovercar to the courtyard gate. There were news vans camped outside, each with their own flotilla of hovering cameras and microphones, and even though she wasn't the darling of the hour by any means, her appearance alone was enough to attract the attention of every reporter in the nearby vicinity.

"Aria!"

"– Ms. T'Loak, over here!"

"... what made you decide to come to Commander Shepard's –"

"Did you actually receive an invitation?"

"What's your connection to –"

"– bring a wedding gift?"

Aria actually answered that question, although she didn't break her stride. "A ten thousand credit gift certificate to Pandora's Toybox," she drawled, leaving it up to them to decide whether or not the statement was true. That shut the idiots up long enough for her to get past the gate. However, the assault didn't end once it closed and locked behind her.

"Aria T'Loak, humanity wants to know –"

Aria gave Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani one of the many dangerous looks in her repertoire, narrowing her eyes at the press badge she wore around her neck. "Look, you're cute, but I'm really not in the mood for an interview right now, so why don't you turn that camera off?"

Undeterred, al-Jilani continued firing questions. "Is it true that you and Commander Shepard had an affair during her second stay on Omega, when she was looking for the rogue vigilante called Archangel?"

Grizz shot a look at Aria, fingering the lapel of his tuxedo jacket, but she shook her head ever so slightly, warning him not to draw his weapon. She flashed al-Jilani a wolfish grin and let wisps of biotic energy dance between her fingertips. "If you'd like to become a red smear on the wall in the next couple seconds, keep talking." The shock on al-Jilani's face was just too perfect.

Unfortunately, before Aria could continue toying with the reporter, three figures began approaching them with purposeful strides. A dark-skinned human male, a voluptuous brunette in a form-fitting dress, and an equally voluptuous and pale asari matriarch bedecked in red armor. Khalisah took one look at the trio and began typing furiously into her Omni-tool, but her excitement quickly transformed into frustration. "Damn it, why isn't it worki - ... maybe if I... No! Paul, help me fix this thing," al-Jilani complained as she stormed off toward her camera crew, who had been wise enough to stay several yards back from Aria.

"Much appreciated, Ms. Lawson. Mr. Taylor," Aria said as the two humans and the asari stopped in front of her. "She was starting to get on my nerves. It's nice to see you again, Justicar. How is your daughter?"

Samara looked mildly surprised at the inquiry, but not offended. She had spent over a thousand years learning to read people, and Aria didn't seem to be deliberately baiting her this time. "Well, thank you. She enjoys her new position as head of the Lessus monastery. But you do not seem to be similarly at peace today, Aria T'Loak."

Aria froze up and bit her lower lip, her eyelashes fluttering, but not at Samara’s cryptic comment. "Your cloak is good. Very good. But if you don't put my credit chit back in my pocket, you'll regret it. The remote, too. You don't want to know what that does."

A dejected Kasumi suddenly materialized directly behind Aria, to Jacob's amusement and Miranda's frustration. "How did you know?" she asked, reluctantly handing the credit chit back to Aria. "I wasn't really going to keep them," she added when Miranda made a strangled sound in her throat and Samara gave her a disapproving shake of the head. "I just wanted to see if I could do it."

"Consider it a success, then. I didn't feel a thing until they were gone," Aria said, her voice slightly higher than it had been moments before. It was a half-truth – she hadn't felt anything until Kasumi had experimentally pressed one of the buttons on the remote and activated her new purchase's lowest vibration setting. "Here, give me that," she said, a little too harshly as she hurried to switch it off. "You shouldn't play with toys that aren't yours."

"At this rate, I'll have to search you after the ceremony to make sure your sticky fingers haven't picked up anything else," Miranda muttered under her breath, groaning a few seconds later when she realized just how bad her wording had been. "I didn't mean – oh, hell. You promise not to kill anyone, right?" She directed her focus back to Aria in the hopes of diverting everyone else's attention from herself.

"Oh, I have much more interesting things planned," Aria said as the group headed toward the largest white tent in the courtyard. As always, she led the way and set the pace. "Don't worry," she added when Miranda started to protest, "they won't interfere with the celebration. I know how and when to play nice."

Although she still felt a bit uneasy, Miranda decided to show a little faith. She didn't ask any further questions. "Well, since you decided to arrive fashionably late, I think the ceremony is about to start. It's asari seating, so anywhere you like except the first row."

"Samara, do you know why all the seats are in a ring?" Jacob asked, staring at the set-up curiously.

"To surround the couple with love and good wishes. Is seating at human weddings different?"

"There's usually a bride's side and a groom's side," Miranda explained for Samara’s benefit. "But since Liara and Shepard have all the same friends, this just made more sense."

Aria wasn't paying attention. Instead, she had stopped short several feet behind the others. She stared, dumbfounded, as they continued to the innermost ring and took their seats. Sitting in the second circle, almost directly across from the dais, was Tevos, laughing at something Sha'ira had whispered near her crest. "Fuck," she mumbled as Grizz coughed gently beside her, obviously uncomfortable with the awkward atmosphere.

"Should we go sit down?" he asked hesitantly, pointing deliberately to the other side of the tent.

"Yeah," Aria said, frowning when her voice came out hoarse and a little wobbly. "Yeah," she tried again, with a little more clarity. She headed in the opposite direction of Grizz's pointing hand, right toward Tevos and the Consort.

As Aria selected her seat – two rows back and a few chairs to the left, but with a good view of the councilor – she realized that she was breathing heavily. She felt a crushing weight press down on her chest, and her heart rate doubled as she heard the lilt of Tevos's voice cut through the murmur of the crowd. She couldn't quite make out the words, but her good mood was unmistakable.

"Boss, this probably isn't a good idea," Grizz suggested tentatively, still standing instead of taking his seat. He seemed reluctant to sit down. "We could move –"

"We're not moving," Aria snapped, leaving no room for argument. "Sit!"

Grizz sat. Arguing with Aria was a pointless exercise.

The seats around them filled up quickly, but Aria barely noticed when a group of STG scientists sat in the chairs next to and behind her. She was completely focused on Tevos. Was her body language receptive? She actually growled low in her throat as she saw their hands brush briefly. In her mind, she imagined Tevos being swept up in a kiss, murmuring her pleasure, writhing in ecstasy. And not with her.

A completely ridiculous but powerful wish throbbed in her skull. She wished, hoped, that she had been Tevos's most recent lover. The last one to touch her, make her beg, push her over the edge. Such possessiveness was completely alien to her, and she had to physically swallow it down. "How long have they been fucking?" she asked herself while Grizz pretended not to hear. Aria left her other question unvoiced, grinding her teeth as she saw Sha'ira's hand brush against Tevos's arm. Had Tevos enjoyed Sha'ira's attentions more? Or was her mind playing tricks on her? Perhaps they were only friends, and had never been intimate at all...

Aria continued stewing in her own thoughts even as the voices around them died down, and it was with great difficulty that she turned her attention to the dais and the empty path leading to it. She couldn't even find it in herself to smile as she saw Urdnot Wrex, looking very striking in his Grandfather's ceremonial clan armor, walk down the aisle with Ashley Williams on his arm. The SpecTRe was in full Alliance parade uniform, her back stiff and her stride sharp. It wasn't until they were already ascending the dais stairs and taking their places on either side of the asari and human co-officiates that Aria realized she hadn't bothered to check out the rear view. "I really have lost it," she said, only a little regretful.

When EDI and Joker began their own procession down the aisle, much slower than the previous pair, Aria did make sure to give the AI's behind a passing glance, just to prove to herself that she wasn't completely under Tevos's spell. Although the sight was aesthetically pleasing, it didn't make her feel any better. Eventually, they took their places on either side of Wrex and Ashley. Aria shot Tevos another glance. Their bondmate ceremony would have to be much smaller. Maybe they could elope...

Oh no. No no no. She was not going there. Definitely not going there. No.

But for just a moment, Aria wondered what Tevos's face looked like as she watched the proceedings. Was she smiling? Was it because of the wedding, or because of Sha'ira? Was she imagining her own future? Did that future even have room for an on-again, off-again criminal girlfriend?

Garrus, also in military uniform, and Tali in her formal suit, were the next to make the long walk from the entrance of the tent all the way up the stairs to the dais. In an effort not to think about Tevos, Aria wondered if they would be the next high-profile couple to bind wrists. Of course, since neither of them were asari, there would be no literal binding of wrists, but that was beside the point.

Following Garrus and Tali came a charging horde of miniature krogan, dressed absurdly in white and spilling flower petals everywhere. Aria knew the basics of what a 'flower girl' was supposed to do at a human wedding, but she suspected that chucking baskets at people's heads and biting each other's humps wasn't part of the tradition. She smirked a little at their expense, feeling slightly better for a moment.

After Urdnot Wrex's brood of flowerkrogan were eventually shepherded into place by a weary-looking Miranda, who was hovering half in and half out of her seat near the very front, a much larger figure walked over the battlefield of crushed flower bits. Grunt looked ridiculous in his large, ill-fitting tuxedo, especially since he had a weapon strapped to his back, but he beamed with pride as he carried a large white pillow with the bondmate bracelets on it. Normally, one of the First Attendants – Tali or Garrus, in this case – held on to the bracelets, but Aria figured carrying them in separately was some weird human thing.

Then, finally, there was a loud chord change, and the processional music shifted. The new music sounded vaguely familiar to Aria, but she couldn't place it. As one, the entire room got to their feet. It was almost eerie, seeing so many people move in unison with so little sound. Aria had done a little research on human weddings, curious about what to expect from this ceremony, and she had read that in many human cultures, the 'groom' (what a strange concept) waited for his bride at the altar. Asari couples always made the walk together, shared first steps toward the rest of their life. Obviously, Shepard and Liara had chosen to go that route.

Like Ashley Williams, Shepard was wearing a white, formal version of her Alliance dress uniform. She wore her rank on her chest, along with several medals, including a few from other worlds. Liara was in a traditional asari bonding dress, the loose silky skirt fluttering breezily around her bare knees. Although the dress wrapped up and around her neck, the back was cut open, dipping low enough to show the twin dimples in line with her hips. Complicated ribbons criss-crossed the empty space.

_'Thea would look gorgeous in – stop it!'_

Aria wiggled her toes uncomfortably in her high-heeled stiletto boots, trying to push the image from her mind. It was a fantasy. A stupid, weak fantasy that she needed to will away and forget. One that someone like her didn't deserve.

The ceremony itself was mercifully brief. Aria spent most of it with her eyes burning into the back of Tevos's crest. She did glance at the dais during the important moments, and even smiled with something like pleasure as the asari officiate bound Liara and Shepard's wrists, exacting a promise from them as each colored ribbon was fastened around their joined hands.

"Will you share each other's burdens?

"We will."

"Will you seek to ease each other's pain?"

"We will."

"The first binding is made."

For some reason, the words were haunting. Aria became starkly aware that she had become the source of Tevos's sorrow instead of her comfort. Countless pained looks she had glimpsed after they had sex suddenly made sense.

"Will you share each other's laughter?"

"We will."

"Will you seek to bring each other joy?"

"We will."

"The second binding is made."

And why shouldn't they be happy? Was she really going to deny herself the pleasure of Tevos's company just because it might make her seem 'weak'? Aria was a hedonist. She took what she wanted. And Tevos was what she wanted. It was as simple as that. She had never stopped herself from seeking her own pleasure before, and there was no reason to stop now. She didn't give a damn what other people might think. Even if she didn't deserve to be happy, Tevos did. But... what if Sha'ira was the one who made her happy?

"Will you build a foundation and a home together, so that you and your family will grow and flourish in love?"

"We will."

"And will you dream together, nurturing each other's hopes and sharing each other's triumphs?"

"We will."

"The third binding is made."

For a moment, Aria let herself imagine a future. Not the stereotypical asari vision of what a bonding should be, with a brood of daughters and a three-level house in Serrice with a two-skycar garage and landscaping determined by the local homeowner's association. Just her being her, and Tevos being Tevos, existing in the same space, being themselves and doing what they normally did... but with the knowledge that they cared about each other. Suddenly, the idea didn't seem so farfetched.

"Will you love, honor, and cherish each other for the rest of your lives together?"

"We will."

"The last binding is made. Raise your hands as one, for that is what you have become. One flesh, one life, and one heart."

The next minute passed by in a blur. Shepard and Liara turned away from the asari officiate and held up their bound hands. Together, Tali and Garrus stepped forward, draping a quilt around both of their shoulders. For a moment, Aria simply allowed herself to be happy for the couple. She really was fond of Liara, even though she still sent the occasional assassin just to keep Aria on her toes, and Shepard was always a trip. Today, she looked larger than life, every inch the hero that had saved the Galaxy over and over again. It was a far cry from the times Aria had watched her sleep off an overindulgence of alcohol on her divan.

"Aw. That was beautiful," Grizz said, sniffing a little.

"It kind of was," Aria agreed as the human officiate started reading from some human book called the Gospel. It was all rather boring, in her opinion, but she held her tongue and endured it for the next couple of minutes. Fortunately, the reading didn't take long, and soon the flowerkrogan, Grunt, EDI, Joker, Wrex, Garrus, and Tali filed out. Ashley Williams remained in place.

"Ten-hut!" she bellowed in her best parade ground voice.

Immediately, James Vega, Steve Cortez, Samantha Traynor, and Dr. Chakwas stood up from the front row. With them was Miranda Lawson, who had somehow managed to swap her clinging dress for a uniform that matched Ashley's right down to the white gloves and the ceremonial sword at her side. Honestly, Aria thought, that woman could do just about anything. James Vega stood proudly on Ashley's right, grinning across the aisle at Steve even as both of them held their rigid postures, with Traynor and the doctor closest to the stairs.

"Arch!"

As one, the six soldiers drew their sabers and held them aloft, so that just the tips were crossing. Shepard and Liara descended the stairs, bending their heads slightly out of reflex as they passed under the arch. Before they could walk through safely, however, Miranda and Ashley lowered their swords, blocking the path out. There was a pause, and then Shepard, looking a little bewildered but undeniably pleased, pulled Liara close and captured her lips in a deep, hard kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but Aria was sure that everyone in the tent held their collective breaths.

Once the couple finally parted, panting and smiling at each other, Ashley and Miranda raised their swords and let them pass. They only made it a few steps before the flat of Ashley's sword came down lightly but firmly against Liara's backside, making her jump and squeak in a very undignified manner for an asari. She whirled around, looking a bit confused but still undeniably giddy, and Ashley gave her a wink. "Welcome to the N7 branch of the Alliance Marines, ma'am!"

After Liara had recovered from her shock, she looked strangely pleased by the whole ceremony, although she still clung tightly to Shepard's hand. "Who's like us?" the Commander asked, her voice rivaling Ashley's for volume.

Ashley saluted. "Damn few! And they're all dead, ma'am. Oorah!"

There was a loud 'Oorah' from all the soldiers in the tent, and there were a lot of them. If this hadn't been a celebration, the presence of so many military figures would have made Aria nervous, but if you couldn't trust Commander Shepard, who else in the galaxy could you ever put your faith in?

Shepard and Liara exited the tent rapidly after that, and the rest of the crowd was quick to follow. The reception was being held inside the large formal ballroom of the T'Soni estate, and everyone seemed eager to celebrate with some free alcohol. Aria had different plans. She held back, watching as the second ring filed out of the tent and headed toward the house. For just a moment, Tevos turned and they locked eyes, her expression pleasant but completely unreadable.

"That's right, you see me," Aria murmured under her breath as Sha'ira gently touched Tevos's wrist, urging her to keep moving forward. "You'd better make your social rounds quickly, because once you finish your second glass, you're all mine."


	10. Chapter 10

"And since I'm terrible at these 'feeling' things you always want to talk about, Shepard, I just want to say that you two deserve each other. Just don't forget your old pal Garrus when you both retire somewhere tropical and live like royalty." There was loud applause and tapping of glasses as Shepard embraced Garrus and Liara gave the turian a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"Not a bad speech," Grizz said. "I didn't get the whole 'King of the Bottle Shooters' bit, though."

Aria wasn't paying attention. Instead, she was glancing at another table. Tevos and Sha'ira were sitting with Sparatus, Valern, and several other diplomats. So far, Tevos had only gotten through one glass of wine, and was just starting her second. Once the toasts were over, she would probably circle the ballroom for a while, doing the whole politician thing. Of course, Aria had other plans. Tevos's socializing would just have to wait.

The clearing of a throat interrupted her thoughts, and Aria reluctantly tore her eyes away from Tevos as Matriarch Aethyta stood up from the main table, voice-projecting mic in hand. "I think this is the part where I'm supposed to thank you all for coming and shit. My kid is kind of a priss, so she gave me a whole fucking list of things I'm not allowed to say in this speech, but... this is too good an opportunity to pass up."

Aria watched with amusement as Miranda Lawson nudged Jack below the ribs. The tattooed woman stood up, her eyes shifting back and forth lazily from Liara's rapidly deteriorating expression to the matriarch.

"Fuck, I'm not joking. She literally gave me a list. To give you some idea about just how much of a headcase you married today, Shepard, I'm going to read a few select items from this datapad..." She held it up. "...that my daughter conveniently shoved in my face this morning. Let's see... we've got 'Benezia's tits'... in quotation marks. Y'know kid, I'm really glad your mother and I were able to recreate those for you. One of the only worthwhile things I did with my life. I bet Shepard's glad, too. Then there's, 'speculating about what Shepard and I are going to do on our honeymoon'. No quotation marks. I don't need to speculate. I've walked in on you twice now. But if you ever want some pointers..."

Liara shook her head and buried her face in her hands, obviously mortified. Jack kept glancing at Miranda, wondering if she should step in, but Miranda held up one finger, urging her to wait.

"No? Okay. Then we have, 'DO NOT' – capital letters – 'threaten to kill Shepard. Seriously. Don't do it.' All I have to say is that a lot of people scarier than me have tried to kill her, and she's still sitting there, staring at me and wondering whether to get up and stop me or comfort you. Finally, at the bottom, there's the word 'Fuck'. Actually, there are a lot of swear words below some italicized text saying 'No Profanity'. It's a long list. I wasn't sure you knew that much profane language."

"Fuck!" one of the tiny krogan flowerchildren repeated in a gruff baritone voice.

Aethyta gave a full belly laugh and walked over to pat the child on the head. "Wrex, this kid is all right." Fortunately, Wrex only seemed amused. "So... I've been a shit parent, Liara. I thought I was doing you a favor when I let your mother raise you. She was smart and beautiful and kind, and I thought with a mother like her, you wouldn't need me. But somehow, even without me, and eventually without Nezzie, you grew up intelligent, brave, and strong. I'm damn proud of you, kid. You're already done more for this galaxy, your friends, and yourself than I thought was possible. And if I'm proud, I know Nezzie would be ecstatic."

Jack, who had been about to intercept the microphone on Miranda's cue, leaned back instead and kept listening. Liara peeked out from between two fingers, although her hands still covered her face. Shepard looked torn between amusement and fear.

"And Shepard. You've done good by my Little Wing. We don't always agree, but I know she loves you like crazy, and you'd go to hell and back to take care of her. So do what I should have done and give her everything she deserves, because it's a hell of a lot. Now, at the end of this speech, I think I'm supposed to give you advice about marriage or something. But I'm not going to, since the two of you are probably already better at relationships than I ever was. A thousand years old and I still don't know crap. Keep doing what you're already doing, and be happy, because you've earned it. I'm proud of you both. And take a fucking drink already, Liara, you look like you're about to cry or fall over or something."

What followed was enthusiastic applause and whistles from about half the crowd, and stunned silence from the other half. For her part, Aria watched with amusement as both Liara and Shepard took long, deep drinks from their wineglasses, obviously thinking that they deserved it. Perhaps, Aria thought, having a parent like Aethyta was punishment enough for Liara's various sins against her and she didn't need to plot her own revenge. It would certainly leave her time for more interesting activities.

Once the toasts were finished and most of the guests had cleaned their plates, Aria figured it was time to give the happy couple her good wishes. The sooner she congratulated them, the sooner she could corner Tevos somewhere and…

And she wasn't sure exactly what would happen next. But she was determined to find out.

It took her about twenty minutes, since both she and the newlyweds were beset by various friends, acquaintances, and all-around nuisances, but finally, Aria managed to make it over to the main table. Shepard and Liara seemed fairly pleased to see her, perhaps because they were tired of the simpering and worshipful ardor some of their other guests had displayed. It was one disadvantage of becoming heroes.

Aria had no such delusions about either of them. She had watched Shepard get drunk off her ass and pass out on her divan twice now, and knew Liara was kinky enough to give Tevos a run for her credits. They were heroes, but also mortal, with their own flaws and quirks just like everyone else. Shepard in particular hated being deified. Liara tolerated it, barely, but only because she was polite.

"Nice little ceremony you had earlier," Aria drawled as she shifted her weight to one hip. "Congratulations. The quilt was a nice touch. I'm guessing your favorite part was when Williams smacked your ass with her sword, though."

Liara was unable to hide her rapidly spreading blush. "I suppose I was expecting too much when I assumed you wouldn't get around to teasing me on my wedding day." She turned to Shepard, obviously expecting the Commander to defend her honor.

Shepard held up her hands and shook her head. "Oh no, I'm not getting involved in this little love spat. Come on, Liara. You have more than enough dirt on Aria to hold your own against her without my help."

"Just try it and see what happens," Aria said, but she didn't sound particularly threatening. Her attention had wandered to the other side of the ballroom, where Tevos and Sha'ira had begun making their obligatory social rounds together. Tevos had a certain light about her, a draw, something that pulled her audience in and enthralled them. Shepard had a similar effect on people, although she was forceful where Tevos was subtle.

"Your outfit is quite... striking, Aria, but I have to say that you don't wear jealousy nearly as well," Liara offered. "If seeing Tevos with someone else bothers you that much, perhaps you should do something about it."

The last shreds of Aria's false bravado unraveled. "Honestly? That's why I haven't had anything to drink tonight."

The curved markings above Liara's eyes lifted in surprise. "Really? Perhaps Shepard could learn a thing or two from your example."

"Hey! I've only had half a glass so far, and it was after your father's speech."

"I was referring to other incidents involving you, alcohol, and sensitive information."

"Information about where you're sensitive," Aria deadpanned. "So, I have no idea what I'm going to do. This is all new to me." She paused. "Some advice from one of those boring couples I always looked down on wouldn't hurt."

"I think I can do better than advice," said Liara. "If you walk out the far doors and find the main stairway, the first bedroom to the left on the second floor–" Shepard coughed the word 'Miranda' into her hand, and Liara quickly corrected herself. "Oh, right. Never mind. And Jack does have a tendency to... destroy things... so try the third floor. Second door to the right is a bedroom. And the first is a linen closet."

Aria was strangely touched, but also amused. "Destroy things?" she repeated, shooting the tattooed biotic a sidelong glance. A very vivid memory of Jack flipping over four tables with just a careless toss of her wrist during a night of drunken debauchery on Omega surfaced for a moment. Shepard's biotics were strong, and her strategic use of them made her absolutely deadly as an opponent, but Jack's raw power could rival an experienced asari Commando's.

Shepard shrugged. "I lost count after two beds, the antique dresser, a couple of mirrors, and the door."

"That's not fair, Shepard. Miranda has been running herself ragged trying to make this day special for us. Of course a dent in the door wouldn't be at the top of her priority list."

"Two dents. In the shape of a pair of forearms. But since they're staying for another two weeks, it's probably better to wait."

"As... interesting... as this conversation is," and it was interesting, Aria had to admit, but not nearly as fascinating as watching Tevos out of the corner of her eye as she debated something with Dalatrass Linron, "I think I see someone else who needs my attention. I'll avoid the second floor," she added dryly. "And I promise not to destroy the furniture."

"Don't forget to confess your undying love and devotion," Liara added, just to see the annoyed twitch of Aria's facial muscles as she prowled away.

"Enjoy my wedding gift," Aria shot back without turning around.

. . .

"Damn it, I've lost her," Tevos said as her eyes scanned the ballroom. Aria's outfit was certainly attention grabbing, and it had been easy enough to follow her progress during the reception until now.

"Do you think she left?" Sha'ira asked, deliberately brushing her fingertips against the small of Tevos’s back just in case they were being observed.

"Without coming for me? No. She wore that suit for a reason."

Even though she hoped her friend was right, Sha'ira couldn't help offering a word of caution. "Are you sure she wore it for you? Aria does love attention..."

"She wore it for me. She'll come," Tevos said, trying to sound confident even when she felt the exact opposite. She and Aria had exchanged a few messages over the past two weeks – mostly dirty ones, and a few that were surprisingly tame – but no visits.

"You're playing a dangerous game here, Thea. Falling in to bed with Aria is a lot different than falling in love."

Tevos couldn't bring herself to confirm or deny the fact that she was in love with Aria out loud. She had admitted it to herself long ago, ever since the destruction of the Citadel, and had spent the past year learning to accept her feelings even as she tried to protect what was left of her heart. But there was no clean way out, and she didn't want to say the words aloud, even to a friend. If she could get Aria to say them first, that would be different, but for now…

"Look. There she is," Sha'ira said, instinctively pulling closer to Tevos and tightening her grip around her waist. "I can see her over your shoulder. I'll let her get a bit closer, and then back up just enough for her to surprise you from behind."

"How do you know she's going to do that?"

Sha’ira smiled. "Experience, my dear. Hold still and expect to be touched in about thirty seconds."

Her estimates were right on, and a few moments later, Tevos felt firm hands settle on her hips. That in itself didn't surprise her, but the unmistakable bulge pressing into her from behind made her eyes shoot open and her breath catch. "Having a good time?" Aria's voice whispered beside her crest.

Tevos held perfectly still, neither leaning back against the familiar curves of Aria's body or pulling away. "Could be better,” she said coolly.

"Consort, I'm afraid I need to steal the councilor away from you."

Sha’ira gave her a long look. "Any particular reason?"

"Reasons that are none of your business."

"Thea?" Sha'ira asked, giving her friend one more chance to back out.

"It's all right. I'll go." It was hard for Tevos to keep her voice steady when she could clearly feel exactly what Aria had planned for her. The fact that Aria had just deliberately, obviously, and unapologetically staked her claim only excited her more.

"Damn right," Aria said as she pulled Tevos backward against her pelvis. "Now, if you'll excuse us..." As they walked away, Aria made sure to steer Tevos by pressing against the bare skin at the small of her back, claiming the spot she had watched Sha'ira touch before. The message couldn't have been clearer: _She's mine. Back off._

"Where are we going?" Tevos asked, partially to cut through the tense, lust-filled silence. Other conversations were carrying on around them, but she didn't seem to be picking them up, and everything felt eerily quiet.

"Somewhere private. I thought I made it clear that your body belongs to me a few weeks ago, but apparently you need a refresher course." Tevos felt a heavy throb between her legs and valiantly resisted the impulse to tackle Aria to the floor in the middle of the crowded ballroom.

Finally, they escaped through a side door and stumbled into a narrow hallway. Desperate for contact – anything more than the maddening presence of Aria's hand on her back – Tevos tried to maneuver Aria against the nearest wall and kiss her, but found her wrists trapped between their bodies. "Ah ah. Someone might see us here. Unless you want everyone to watch while you suck me off..."

So that was what she wanted. Somehow, Tevos had known this was coming the second she felt Aria press against her from behind while wearing the toy. And she definitely didn't object to the idea. It was an activity she had grown to enjoy very much over the past year. "Then where can we –"

"Be quiet and hurry," Aria said, practically dragging Tevos down the hallway.


	11. Chapter 11

"Stop," Aria ordered once they arrived on the third floor, steering Tevos to the right. They stumbled through the second doorway, and Tevos was only a little surprised to see that Aria had led them to a guest bedroom. She didn't have time to take in much about the room aside from the fact that there was a large, four-poster bed before Aria pinned her to the wall with her mouth. Compared with Aria’s previous rough treatment, her kiss was surprisingly soft. A shiver ran down the middle of Tevos’s back as Aria’s tongue teased her lips apart, but instead of pressing forward, she drew back. 

Tevos let out a soft whimper of protest. “Aria…”

Aria paused. It took Tevos a moment to read her expression, and when she did, she was even more confused. Aria, the confident, brash Queen of Omega, was uncertain. There was worry in her eyes behind the dark, rapidly growing need. Tevos repeated her name, adding more softness to her voice and turning it into a question. “Aria?”

“I need you. Need to fuck you the way I do during our scenes.” Aria’s body shook, and she had to resist the impulse to tighten her grip on Tevos’s wrists. She could feel the frantic pounding of her pulse there, and she wanted it beneath her lips next. But first, she had to make sure. “I’m not going to be gentle. If you don’t want that, tell me right now.”

Somehow, Tevos sensed that there was more Aria needed, something else that she wasn’t saying. Although she initiated them often, Aria had never asked for a scene so directly before. She shivered as one of Aria’s hands let go of her wrist and cupped the swell of her hip instead. “I don’t want you to be.”

Tevos leaned forward and wrapped her hand around the back of Aria’s neck, drawing her in for another deep kiss. This time, Aria’s tongue stroked against hers, claiming her mouth and stealing her breath. There was no more hesitation. The firm press of Aria’s lips on hers made her forget everything else she had been worried about.

Aria broke away, keeping Tevos pinned against the wall with the weight of her body. "So, how long have you been letting her fuck you?” she asked. The words trembled more than she would have liked, and she wondered just how much acting she was actually doing. She waited a beat, studying Tevos’s face for any sign of anger or hurt.

Tevos tried to speak, but couldn't find words. She was lost in Aria's eyes, even though they were only just starting to swirl with the black light of the meld. This line of dialogue was new to her, and she had a feeling it had something to do with the brief glimpse of uncertainty she had caught in Aria’s expression. Finally, she managed to summon a response. “Fuck me? I haven’t…”

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out? That I wouldn't care if Sha'ira used you?"

Tevos’s eyes widened. A thought rushed to the front of her mind, so implausible that she almost dismissed it. Aria was jealous. Her breathing sped up, but she forced herself to remain in the moment. If she was right, if Aria needed this, she was more than willing to let her lover reclaim every part of her body and soothe her hurt feelings that way. She gave Aria a small, barely perceptible nod.

That was all it took to snap the last threads of Aria’s control. Her hands roamed everywhere at once, squeezing Tevos’s breasts, running down along her stomach, gripping her hips and pushing her further into the wall. On impulse, she slid one of her thighs between Tevos’s legs, enjoying the way the soft body in her arms shivered at the pressure. The fabric of Tevos’s right sleeve tore in her fingers, revealing the bare skin of her shoulder. The sound of ripping cloth and the sight of bare, unmarked flesh was surprisingly satisfying. "I'm going to ask you a question, and you'd better fucking give me the right answer,” she growled before the last of her willpower deserted her. “Who owns you, whore?"

This time, Tevos answered without hesitation. "You do, Aria."

"I own you. Not Sha'ira. Not anyone else." To prove her point, Aria sank her teeth into the soft place where Tevos’s throat joined her shoulder. She did not let go until she had left an obvious purple mark. Nothing short of omnigel would be able to conceal it for at least a week. If Sha’ira was foolish enough to try anything, her mark would stand as clear proof that she had laid claim first.

Tevos felt a low pulse of desire between her legs as she realized why Aria had bitten her. The mark was one of ownership. "Aria, I didn't..."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear another fucking word from you unless I ask you a question. Is that clear?" Tevos nodded her head to show she understood, closing her eyes and turning her head away in what looked like shame as Aria shoved a hand beneath her dress. It was pale yellow, and like Liara's bonding dress, it had an open, low-scooping back. Since there were no ribbons blocking her way, Aria was able to use her other hand to rake her nails between Tevos's shoulder blades. "Goddess, you're wet for me. So wet I could just slide inside of you, take you," she mumbled against the shoulder she had bitten.

The word 'please' hovered on the tip of Tevos's tongue, but she remembered Aria's instructions and swallowed it down.

"But not yet. I want you to ache until you beg me to fill you." 

The thin, soaked scrap of fabric between Tevos’s legs did nothing to ease the pressure of Aria's fingers as they rubbed back and forth over the swollen ridge of her clit. "Please..." This time, the word escaped despite her best efforts.

Aria tore her hand away and pulled their bodies apart. "What did I just fucking say? If you can't keep your mouth shut, get on your knees and use it."

Tevos didn't waste any time sinking to her knees as Aria took her place against the wall, using it to prop herself up. Just imagining Tevos’s lips wrapped around the shaft of her cock made her legs weak, and she throbbed against the tight seam of her pants. Part of her wanted to undo her zipper and lessen some of the pressure, but the thought of Tevos taking her out instead was much more appealing. She gripped the back of Tevos's crest, working her fingers between the gaps as nimble fingers hurried to unbutton her pants. 

Before Tevos pulled down Aria’s zipper, she pressed a kiss against the obvious bulge, pleased at the way Aria's hips twitched. She ran her tongue across her lower lip as she undid Aria's fly and pulled out the shaft of the toy. It was the same familiar shade of purple, but she could tell just by looking that it was thicker than she was used to. Aria had definitely adjusted the settings. The fluted head was already swollen with arousal, and the very tip glistened with wetness.

Aria swallowed, resisting the temptation to simply push Tevos’s head forward and bury herself in the tempting heat of her mouth. The length of her cock ached, and her inner muscles were already on the edge of pulsing around the shorter end buried inside of her. "Well? What are you waiting for? Suck me."

If the beginning of the evening had been different, if they had built up to it with some friendly banter during one of the outings that both of them refused to admit were dates, even if they had come to the wedding together instead of apart, Tevos might have stretched it out. But not tonight. Aria was clearly in need, not just physically, but also emotionally. She extended her tongue and gave the head of the cock a tentative lick.

"Fuck... more..." Aria hissed through gritted teeth. It was clearly an order and not a request, and she made the distinction even more obvious by pressing down on the back of Tevos's head. Her thigh muscles tensed as she felt warmth graze over the sensitive tip of her shaft, coaxing a small shudder to run up along the length. "Don't play games with me, slut. You've done this before. Maybe Sha'ira even taught you a few new tricks."

Tevos let the tip of the cock slide past her lips, sucking it while she rubbed her tongue against the underside of the head. The act sometimes felt tender, almost loving, when she went down on Aria without any additions, but doing it while she was wearing her cock always made her feel used in the best kind of way. She really had no idea why she liked it so much, whether it was because it made Aria happy, because it cemented her into a submissive headspace, or because it secretly thrilled her to imagine someone watching her perform such a debasing act, but she couldn't ignore the flood of wetness that had soaked through her panties and started dripping down her inner thighs.

"Goddess," Aria murmured. Her stomach tensed as Tevos took another inch of the shaft into her warm mouth. "Such a clever tongue. I don't want you doing this for anyone else. You're supposed to be the fucking asari councilor, not some cheap trash from the slums of Omega... although the way you've been acting lately, I'm not sure I can tell the difference."

Tevos looked up in surprise, although she did not let the length of Aria’s cock slide out from between her lips. Even though this was a scene, something about Aria’s words and responses was off, and she wanted a little reassurance. She got it when the grip on the back of her head loosened ever so slightly and soft knuckles grazed against her burning cheek. She knew Aria didn't mean what she had said, and she couldn't deny the needy pulse between her legs.

Slowly, torturously, she slid her lips up along the shaft, letting it pop out of her mouth. Aria groaned, nudging the head against her swollen lips, trying to force it back in. Tevos kissed it instead, giving the tip a few quick lashes with her tongue. "I won't," she said softly, her breath grazing the wet flesh she had just licked.

"Won't what?" Aria latched on to the words, gripping Tevos's chin and tilting it up sharply. For a moment, the watery green eyes staring up at her softened her heart, but she managed to hold firm. Her insecurities were swiftly melting away, replaced with a surge of desire instead.

"Won't do this for anyone else." Tevos bent her head, trying to take Aria into her mouth again, but a firm hand pushed her back. 

"Try again, sweetheart. Won't what?"

"Won't suck anyone else's cock." The words made Tevos’s stomach twist and her heart flutter. They tumbled out in a rush, but they were all there. It was only after the pang of fear and arousal faded that Tevos realized what Aria had called her. Either way, the extracted promise seemed to be enough. Aria pushed her head down again until the tip nudged the back of her throat. She gripped the base with her right hand to give herself a little more breathing room and began sliding her mouth up and down.

"Good. Oh fuck, just like that." Even though she knew it would push her close to the edge of her control, Aria looked down and watched as Tevos’s lips drew back up along her shaft. She pulsed in the warm circle of Tevos’s fingers, swallowing down a gasp. The heat and pressure of Tevos’s mouth was torturous enough, but watching Tevos service her made the length of her cock throb with fullness. "I don't want you spreading your legs for anyone else either, especially Sha'ira. Unless I say otherwise, I'm the only one that gets to fuck you."

Since she had her mouth full, Tevos couldn't answer, but she hummed around the shaft, ignoring the slowly building ache in her jaw. She didn't care. The small amount of discomfort was more than worth it to feel so... Possessed. Objectified. Used. Owned. All of the burdens and responsibilities she usually carried evaporated, leaving only one – the responsibility of Aria's pleasure. It was strangely freeing.

Without warning, she began to increase her pace, knowing how undignified she must look with her head bobbing up and down over Aria's lap, but too aroused to care. She felt the tickle of the meld at the back of her head as Aria's mind reached out to hers, and she accepted it eagerly, gasping as she felt the phantom sensation of warm lips sliding over what felt like an extended, twitching version of her clit. Even more intense was the barrage of feelings coming from Aria, slamming into her like unrelenting waves - a fierce, burning possessiveness that nearly made her come as soon as she experienced it.

"Don't you dare fucking stop," Aria panted. Her hips bucked forward, desperately seeking more of the heat, the silky warmth of lips and tongue. Even though she had originally wanted Tevos to service her, she could not stop her body from taking what it needed. Her fingers tightened on Tevos’s crest, and she buried herself deeper. Still, a thought tugged at the back of her mind, a wicked idea that she could not resist indulging in. Using the very last of her willpower, she forced herself to come to a stop and pull out. Her cock twitched, protesting the loss of Tevos’s warm mouth and soft tongue, but she ignored the stab of desire that cut through her stomach and brushed the slick head over Tevos’s tortured lips instead. 

"Pleasing me is a privilege.” Her voice was hoarse, edging on desperate, but still undeniably powerful. The pleading look in Tevos’s shimmering green eyes only encouraged her to keep going. “You'll have to convince me that you deserve to keep sucking my cock, especially after whoring around with the consort. I want you to beg me for it."

Tevos took a deep, shaky breath, still focusing on the thick purple shaft hovering just a few inches in front of her. She knew Aria could feel how much she wanted to take it back in her mouth, between her legs, anywhere at all. Her face burned, and she squeezed her wet eyes shut. _‘Please...’_

"Please what?"

Tevos squirmed, her slick thighs rubbing together uncomfortably. Goddess, she wished Aria would just lift her ruined dress, bend her over, tear her panties off, and push inside... But that wasn't going to happen yet. Aria never gave in until she had forced her to beg in excruciatingly specific words. She forced herself to form her plea with her lips instead of her mind. "Please let me suck your cock." Even Tevos was impressed by how desperate her voice sounded. "I want – I _need_ to feel you come in my mouth."

Aria felt herself twitch at that admission, but she didn't give in. "This isn't about what you want. It's about pleasing me."

"Then let me please you... I'm yours. All of me. Fuck me, use me, I don't care. I'll beg for as long as you want, say whatever you tell me to say. But please don't make me stop."

All of Aria's defenses crumbled. If there was such a thing as a confession of undying love through sex, that was it. She returned her hand to the back of Tevos's head, sliding her fingers through the dips in her crest. "Finish me." She did not need to offer any more encouragement. Tevos took as much of the shaft as she could past her lips, using a tight fist at the base to make up the difference.

Aria's mouth fell open in an empty scream. The warm, wet pressure surrounding her was too much. She clutched at Tevos’s mind, drawing her in as desire overwhelmed her. Her body stiffened, every muscle clenching as her inner walls pulsed in an unforgiving orgasm. The throbbing, aching fullness along her shaft released, and she tightened her grip on the back of Tevos’s crest as a burst of warmth shot from the swollen tip. A second spurt followed, and soon she was pumping into Tevos’s mouth, spilling over as the length of her cock twitched with harsh spurts.

Just when she thought she was finally finished, thought she had no more to give, Aria felt the pressure of Tevos’s lips ease slightly. She looked down, and the pulses started all over again when she saw that Tevos was swallowing her. She groaned as the shaft of her cock rippled again, forcing out another powerful jet of warmth. Tevos’s lips sealed around her again, coaxing out everything she had until her contractions faded to weak pulses.


	12. Chapter 12

Finally, with shaking, heavy hands, Aria managed to guide Tevos's head back. At first, Tevos licked her sore lips, looking very pleased with herself, but then she felt a wave of fresh desire thrumming across their bond. Apparently, Aria wasn't finished with her yet. She gasped as Aria hauled her to her feet and whirled her around, trapping her arms behind her back and forcing her toward the bed.

_'Sorry, I just...'_

She shoved Tevos face-first onto the mattress, bending her over.

_'– need to –'_

A careless flip moved the back of Tevos's yellow dress out of the way, although Aria did take a moment to admire the stain on the back.

_'... have you... oh Goddess...'_

Aria didn't even bother removing Tevos's underwear. She just pulled them to one side, tearing them in the process, and thrust forward. Both of them cried out at the welcome intrusion. Tevos was more than wet enough to prevent it from really hurting, but the stretch and sting that came with being unprepared made her inner muscles twitch and pull greedily around the shaft of Aria’s cock.

 _'You did well with your first lesson. Now we're going to play a game. I think you'll recognize it. Who does this belong to?'_ Aria leaned forward until her breasts were pressed tight against Tevos's back and reached forward, turning the councilor's head as far as it would go. Their mouths met in a hard, off-center kiss, both of their necks straining as they tried their best to reach each other from such an awkward position. Aria groaned, adoring the way Tevos's swollen, tortured lips rasped against hers. They were normally full, but somehow, they were even more kissable than usual after they had serviced her.

_'You...'_

_'Good.'_ Since Aria couldn't sustain such an awkward kiss for long, she replaced her lips with her fingers, wanting to fill Tevos's mouth with something. She ignored the gentle scrape of teeth and braced her weight on her other elbow so that she could keep up the motion of her hips. _'And this? Who does this belong to?'_

 _'Goddess, Aria, you!'_ Part of Tevos was relieved that Aria wasn't forcing her to answer out loud, but the slick fingers that kept pushing past her already bruised lips made it impossible.

 _'These?'_ Tevos gasped desperately for air as the fingers pulled away, her chest heaving when the newly freed hand wormed its way beneath their bodies, finding and pinching the tip of her breast through the fabric of her dress.

_'Yours...'_

Aria toyed with the hard peak for a moment, slightly sad that she had neglected them so far, but promising to make up for it later when they were in a more convenient position. She removed her hand, giving Tevos a little more breathing room, but still making sure she felt the pressure of her weight. _'These?'_ She squeezed one cheek, then the other, making sure to swirl her fingers through the wetness that had dripped down Tevos's thighs, leaving slick, shimmering trails almost all the way to her knees. _'If you give me the right answer, maybe I'll reward you later.'_ She brought her palm down in a slap to illustrate exactly what kind of reward she had in mind.

It took Tevos a moment to collect her thoughts. One of Aria's talents in and out of the bedroom was her ability to concentrate on multiple things at once. The unrelenting thrusts inside of her were made more unbearable by Aria's constantly moving, teasing hand as it claimed every part of her. _'Yours. All of me is yours, Aria.'_

_'Even this?'_

Tevos had known it was coming, so when Aria's thumb pressed against her other opening, she didn't flinch. She only trembled and remained still, even when Aria added a slight pressure. _'Yes...'_

_'Goddess...'_

Tevos broke out of her role for a moment, her consciousness stretching out and twining with Aria's even as she trembled with uncertainty. _'My wrist is still bare, you know,'_ she thought before Aria could get too carried away.

 _'Here.'_ Aria pulled out completely and backed away for a moment, making Tevos whimper and writhe against the side of the bed.

_'Please – please don't stop! I need you back inside.'_

Aria pressed a soothing palm against Tevos's lower back. _'Shhh. I'm here. Turn over. And get out of that dress.'_

Even if Aria hadn't made it an order, Tevos would have read her lover's desire to feel bare skin against bare skin through the meld. Her dress was ruined, torn at the sleeve and soaked through the back, and she was more than eager to get out of it. The edges of the union began to close in as both of them stripped, tossing their clothes onto the floor, but it came flaring back as soon as Aria's bare hand caressed her thigh. Once they were both naked, Tevos reclined on the bed, letting her legs fall open and leaning back on her elbows. "Well?" she asked in a hoarse, throaty voice that she almost didn't recognize as hers. "You aren't going to stop now, are you?"

"Never," Aria murmured as she crawled onto the mattress, the thick purple head of the cock bobbing between her legs. Tevos reached between them and wrapped her hand around the shaft, gasping a little when she felt how warm and wet it still was. "I still haven't finished explaining which parts of you belong to me yet. The correct answer is all of them."

Aria allowed Tevos to guide the head back into place against her entrance, but once the tip was lined up, she took Tevos's hand and kissed the center of her palm, sliding her lips and tongue down until they were sucking at the pulse point in her wrist. A few moments later, she let go with a wet smack and admired the purple mark she had left. "There. Not bare anymore."

Somehow, the dynamic between them had changed. Aria was still physically on top, but the urgent need for dominance pounding incessantly inside of her skull had faded. She was still aroused, and just the thought of sinking the rest of the way into her lover made her hips twitch, but it was... different. Good. Something about the position of their physical bodies, face to face instead of from behind, made the meld blossom open.

A tumbling rush of feelings that both of them had been holding back for the sake of the scene burst through, like cracks of light shattering a wall. For the first time, they truly knew all of each other. Tevos experienced and accepted all of Aria's emotions, even the ones she had never purposely received from Aria before. And this time, even though it hadn't been spoken aloud yet, neither of them was too afraid to name the all-encompassing warmth 'love'.

_'Thea, I...'_

_'It's all right. I promise.'_ Tevos's hands snaked around Aria's waist, grasping her behind and urging her closer. She gasped as her body took several more inches of the shaft, relieved at being filled again. Finally, their pelvises met. _'Now fuck me.'_ But both of them knew that wasn't what they were doing anymore.

This time, their kisses were gentle, mostly close-mouthed, but long and lingering. Once in a while, their tongues brushed, and one of them would let out a whimper or groan of approval. When they weren't kissing, Tevos nuzzled against Aria's shoulder, her breath hitching whenever the curved head of the toy hooked against her on the way out. Another benefit of the meld – Aria felt whenever this happened and angled her hips to encourage it without being directed. As inventive and wild a lover as Aria could be, she was also maddeningly deliberate. When she found something that worked, she repeated it tirelessly until it became unbearable.

Tevos kept expecting Aria to go faster, take her harder, anything to push them closer to orgasm, but she seemed oddly content with their slow pace. After figuring out how much Tevos enjoyed the shape of the head as it scraped against her inner walls, Aria retreated a step, pulling out almost completely and teasing her entrance with the tip. She even let it slip out once or twice before pushing back in, enjoying the way Tevos's hips rolled forward, searching for the stretch and pressure she had lost.

After another minute of teasing, Tevos gasped and clutched at the forearm Aria was using to brace herself, needing something to hold on to. Her other hand stroked the folds at the back of Aria's neck, bringing their faces together for more kisses every few thrusts. "Aria, please..." she asked for what felt like the hundredth time, knowing that the sooner she started their usual verbal back-and-forth, the sooner Aria would give her what she wanted.

A few minutes ago, Aria would have forced her to beg, made her plead to be penetrated again. But not this time. _'You don't need to do that, sweetheart. Just trust me, let me take you there.'_

_'Yes...'_

Aria let out a trembling sigh as she pushed forward and felt the silky skin of Tevos's inner thighs rub against her hips. The sounds Tevos was making were absolutely intoxicating - broken bits of her name, quick little breaths, and quiet mewls. Wanting to coax even more of those sounds, she forced her hand between their slick bodies, ignoring the slightly uncomfortable fit. She was rewarded by a sharp cry when her fingers brushed against Tevos's clit.

_'Goddess, you're going to make me come if you – oh... don't stop...'_

Through the meld, Aria felt both of them rushing toward climax much faster than she had anticipated. _'Not yet. I'm not ready for this to end.'_ For a moment, Aria felt a pulse of fear from Tevos, fear that she would end up a shuddering wreck like the last time they had been together, but the brief stab of worry was replaced by a hesitant acceptance. If Aria wanted to keep control of this one thing when she had already given up so much of her usual dominance, Tevos was happy to let her have it.

_'I'll – I'll wait. Until you say.'_

Tevos realized that Aria's longer thrusts had stilled to small, subtle rocking motions, easing back down, and the pads of her fingers were just barely present against her sensitive bud. _'I just love the sounds you make, the ones you give me when you're close, but not quite there... and the little twitches I can feel inside of you. I want to savor them for a while.'_ Tevos had no idea how Aria could put together such coherent sentences during sex – no, lovemaking, it was pointless to deny what this was anymore – but she was grateful for it. Aria's words always had a profound effect on her.

It didn't take long for Aria to earn the desperate sounds she had described. Tevos couldn't bear to look into Aria's eyes, even pulling back slightly from the meld, curling in on herself. 'No...' Aria protested, not an order, but a heartfelt request. 'Don't hide from me.'

Surrendering her pleasure to Aria required even more trust than simply allowing herself to be debased or humiliated during their sex games. But she had done this before, and Aria had been there for her. She remembered the strength of Aria's arms as they wrapped around her, the scent of leather and sweat as she cried herself out into Aria’s shoulder and lost herself in grief. She had placed her trust in Aria more than once during the last frantic days of the war, and it had not wavered since. This was just a reaffirmation.

In a gesture of acceptance, Tevos hooked one knee around Aria's waist and held her hands over her head, wrists crossed. She tore her face away from Aria's warm, safe shoulder and looked into her burning black eyes instead. Thoughts came pouring in to the empty space between them so fast that they mixed together.

_'There was never–'_

_'I'm sorry I was so...'_

_'–anyone else. Sha'ira was never–'_

_'...stupid. I guess I was just...'_

_'-anything to me. It was always you. But–'_

_'...afraid, but I'm not anymore and I...'_

_'–I never meant to hurt you.'_

_'...just want to be with you.'_

And then they reached a point where words were redundant, and they couldn't remember where any of their shared thoughts originated anymore. 'I' was a foreign concept. The last barrier crumbled, and they became 'we'.

Their bodies began moving faster, more urgently, trying to catch up to their linked minds. Tevos's legs wrapped around Aria's hips and she tilted herself up, taking the shaft of the toy even deeper as she captured Aria's lips in another kiss. Two sets of lungs burned and two hearts pounded so hard that it ached.

_'Goddess, can we–'_

Desperation from both of them.

_'Not yet.'_

A silent push between their minds.

_'But we need...'_

_'Soon. Just a little longer. Then we'll come.'_

Aria's thrusts started becoming jerky as she twisted to change the angle, trying to dampen the sensations of the warm, slippery heat enveloping her. Tevos's legs tightened around her waist, refusing to let her find a slightly less pleasurable stroke and coaxing the thick head of the cock to nudge against the sensitive spot just inside of her. The meld was so deep that there wasn't even a second of delay before Aria felt it too. _'Oh Goddess, right there–'_ Their bodies arched, straining to hold steady as they felt themselves being tugged in different directions. 

Tevos's hands flew up to grip Aria's shoulders, her nails leaving crescent shaped indents in the flesh, but neither of them felt the sting. Their eyes locked, limbs rigid and trembling. _'Now.'_ The two of them broke as one, grasping and pulling, greedily drinking in as much of each other as they could while their bodies writhed. 

All of the physical sensations were still there. The heavy, blissful contractions from both of them, pulsing in unison because they were so deeply melded. The needy throb Tevos felt as Aria's cock twitched and released deep inside of her, filling her with warmth and making her clench down around the shaft even harder. The extra push when Aria realized Tevos's wetness had actually spilled over onto her own thighs, smearing over her skin. 

But all of that paled in comparison to the Joining. 

Everything they felt, thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears, was stripped bare, left open and raw between them. All the promises they had been too afraid to make, all the feelings they had never confessed but ached to, all of the things they wanted to share. It didn't matter that one of them had been too afraid to give, and the other too afraid to ask. Now, they shared everything. 


	13. Chapter 13

As beautiful as it was, something so intense couldn't last forever. After several more hard spasms from both of them, they collapsed onto the mattress, sticky and spent. Nothing remained but the constant, wordless, purely emotive expression of love through the meld. Neither of them made any move to break the connection, even after their words returned. Suddenly, Aria realized that Tevos was crying. Her own cheeks were also wet, although she convinced herself that they had only leaked because of the union, or maybe really good sex. 

"Liar," Tevos laughed, reading Aria's mind and smiling like a fool even as more tears spilled from her eyes.

"Damn it, stop that. You've got me doing it too, and I don't cry."

"You didn't cry with me when I was sucking you off earlier. It's not the meld."

"Fuck you," Aria mumbled, stubbornly wiping the tears away and ignoring them the same way she ignored Tevos's logic. She didn't, however, ignore Tevos this time, and gave her a soft kiss on the nose.

"Didn't we just do that?" Tevos trailed her hands up and down Aria's bare back, exploring the warm expanse of soft skin.

Aria bent her head ever so slightly, pressing her lips to the points of Tevos's purple-flushed cheeks and each of her eyelids. "No... We just did that thing I always said was horrible."

"Is making love with me really so horrible, Aria?" Tevos whispered, stroking the back of Aria's crest and massaging her neckfolds.

"I never said I was right. After hundreds of years, I'm allowed to be wrong about one fucking thing." Their bodies satisfied and their souls mostly at peace, Aria reluctantly pulled out of Tevos with a few lingering twitches and aftershocks and rolled onto her side, panting slightly and smirking. "Look, I know I thought it to you already, but I have something I need to say, and if I don't do it now, I might fuck it up again. I care about you, and stuff."

Tevos's forehead wrinkled as she gave Aria a fake reproachful look. "And stuff?"

"Shut up. I love you, okay?"

"We're completely wrong for each other, you know," Tevos said lightly, even as she felt her heart swell at Aria's confession.

"Terrible," Aria agreed.

"Completely mismatched."

"And it would be fucking stupid for us to try anything like a relationship–"

"Because we're such different people, and–"

"Thea, we're finishing each other's sentences. We're already screwed." Both of them burst out laughing.

"I don't know, Aria. Maybe if you talk less and stop being insufferable..."

"And maybe if you pull the stick out of your prissy ass and let me fuck it instead..."

"We can make this work. Goddess, we're doing it again, aren't we? This is bad. We might as well put down the deposits for those bracelets now."

Aria's face faltered, but only for a moment. "Hey, one step at a time, okay? For now, just know that... I love you. And that I promise to – damn it, what did Liara say? – to be there the next morning instead of running away. I might not always literally be there, because we both have our lives, but I'll be there in spirit, thinking about you, and working for some kind of future with us in it. Together."

"That's more than I ever imagined you would offer me." Tevos's face shone with her bright smile, and she threw a leg over Aria's hip, scooting closer to share warmth since they had been too lazy to pull the covers down. "I love you too. But–"

Aria felt a twinge of uncertainty and guilt through the remnants of the meld, and she reached up to cup Tevos's cheek. "This is the talk, isn't it? The one you thought would piss me off or scare me away."

"It is," Tevos said with a sigh. "I'm not sure how an open relationship would work, really... I guess just the same way we've already been carrying on."

"Wait, you want an open relationship?" Aria blurted out, sounding a little upset instead of excited.

"No, I don't. But I thought you wanted one. And if it's the only way to keep you..."

Aria shook her head. "Don't compromise yourself like that, especially for me. Besides, the thought of you being with someone else makes me..."

"Irrationally jealous?" Tevos said wryly, remembering the way Aria’s hand had cupped the small of her back in full view of Sha’ira.

"Yeah, that.” Aria sighed. “Since we're being honest with each other, you're the only sex partner I've had lately. Everyone else just kind of fell off the map."

"Maybe we can reach some sort of compromise," Tevos said. "I might need some time to get used to the idea, but a threesome on your birthday wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility. I understand how suddenly going from several lovers to just one for the foreseeable future might seem stifling."

Aria snorted. "You politicians and your fucking compromises. Decade birthdays or annual birthdays?" Since they lived for so long, many asari moved to celebrating every decade or quarter-century once they hit the hundred-year mark.

"Somehow, I knew you would ask that. Maybe if you’re good, we can have them even more frequently. We'll have to wait and see, but I'll give the idea some consideration. I would definitely be uncomfortable with a male of any species, so the third would have to be another asari."

"That doesn't surprise me," Aria drawled, remembering Tevos's very large collection of asari bondage porn.

"Let me finish... or maybe a female human if you wanted something more exotic."

 _'Or both. And a couple would probably be less threatening than a single friend...'_ Aria thought, glad that the meld had faded and Tevos couldn't read her mind anymore. Their fledgling relationship definitely wasn't ready for something like that.

"I'm okay with pushing your limits a little, but I don't want to completely ignore them. Let's table the threesome discussion for a few months. How about we start by inviting a guest," _– or guests –_ "just to watch us instead. That's something I know you'd be interested in trying."

Tevos's green eyes darkened for a moment at the idea, and Aria knew she had hit her mark. "Deal," she said, more than a little relieved that the conversation had wandered back into territory she was more comfortable with. "But not for a little while. I just want to enjoy... this. Us. Okay?"

"Okay." Aria paused, and then suddenly remembered something. "Oh! Since we're officially a couple now…”

“We’ve probably been a couple since the Reapers invaded, you know,” Tevos interrupted. “We just never admitted it. I’ve been in love with you at least that long.”

Aria’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? Wait, don’t try and distract me! Anyway, since we’ve actually admitted that we’re a couple now, does that mean I can finally fuck your ass?"

Tevos gave Aria an exasperated, loving smile and shook her head. "Not yet, but someday. I’m still waiting on that bracelet."

Aria did not seem too put out by her refusal. "Hey, the answer was 'no' before. I'll take 'not yet'."

Before Tevos could respond, several loud, thumping sounds from beneath the floor made both of them sit up in bed and stare at each other with wide eyes.

"What was that?"

"Not sure. Do you think –"

"Put me down you deranged lunatic! No, Jack! Jack, no! I said put me down! Oh no, you didn't really just... You don't want to know how much I paid for that dress..." Several more muffled thuds followed. "Oh God, don't stop – I mean... stop! No, you're going to break – Oh Christ, not again... That's going to leave a mark... Wait, that doesn't give you permission to – Jack! Don't you dare..."

Aria burst out laughing, while Tevos just looked confused. "Maybe we should have tried a room further down the hall," she suggested, lying back down against the pillows while Tevos remained sitting. When the shouting changed to moaning, Aria grinned. "Looks like Ms. Lawson has lost her fight for now."

"That was Miranda Lawson?" Tevos had never met the woman in person until today, but she had signed her pardon papers personally just before the end of the Reaper war. "I hope they have a safe word like we do, because Miranda just said 'no', 'don't', and 'stop' at least a dozen times."

"Oh, she's consenting. I think she mostly just wanted to preserve the furniture..."

"Preserve the furniture?" A confused crease appeared in the middle of Tevos's forehead, and Aria reached over to smooth it away with her thumb.

"I'll explain later. How about we share a shower in the en suite?" Her thumb moved down to Tevos's lip, flicking the white stripe that bisected it, and the councilor gave the tip of her wandering finger a teasing nip. "Hey, you be good. As I was saying, we don't have anywhere to be, so it won't matter if we get messy again or take too long."

"There's a difference between pressing someone against the wall and throwing them into it, Jack! You insane, psychotic... And you broke the mirror! Again..."

"The water might help drown out some of the noise," Tevos suggested, getting out of bed and collecting their clothes to toss down the automatic laundry chute.

"I think it's hilarious. Probably means most of the wedding guests have left, though. Wait, don't toss my tie in there... I need it!"

. . .

"When I said I needed the tie, this wasn't what I had in mind," Aria said, raising her voice slightly so that Tevos could hear her over the hiss of the shower. "You've completely ruined it now... I hope you're satisfied. Sadist." Tevos's smirk told her that she was completely satisfied with what she had done. She continued washing Aria's body with sudsy hands, spending extra time on all of the ticklish places and enjoying the way her lover squirmed.

"Stop pretending you don't enjoy it. We both know better."

"My arms hurt."

"I don't care.” If Aria's arms had actually been bothering her, it would have been easy for her to remove the wet, ruined tie from her wrists, blast the silver bar she was bound to out of the wall with her biotics, or, for a less dramatic option, use her safe word. "You know, that's probably what this bar is for, actually... There's no other reason for it to be here."

Aria would have shrugged if her arms hadn't been upstretched. "Liara's a kinky bitch. How much you wanna bet the master bath has a whole bunch of these at different heights?"

"I'll keep my credits, thank you all the same," Tevos said. She latched on to the soapy skin just above Aria's left breast and sucking there until she had left a dark purple bruise. Just before she let go, she tweaked Aria's extended nipple with her fingertips, laughing at the way her lover's hips jerked forward in response.

"And with my gift, they can probably set themselves up with an entire dungeon..."

Tevos groaned. "Oh Goddess... dare I ask what you got them?"

"Well, the fifty percent off item code I included in the gift basket for the St. Andrew's cross was supposed to be a joke..."

"St. Andrew's cross?" Tevos asked, frowning in confusion and wiping water from her brow so that it wouldn't trickle down into her eyes. She had a vague idea of what a human 'saint' was, but didn't see how they could possibly relate to BDSM equipment.

Without thinking, Aria tried to move her hands into an 'X' shape, but met obvious resistance. She pouted for a moment before explaining, "The human name for a Nos Astra Doublebar."

"Oh!" And then a much softer, "Oh..." as Tevos finally understood. "Well, since we don't have a Nos Astra Doublebar, you'll just have to stay tied up the way you are." She smirked, raking her nails up along Aria's inner thigh, enjoying the not-at-all-subtle twitches she caused.

"Come on, sweetheart. If you untie me like a good girl, maybe I'll let you ride me once we get back in bed. After I fuck you senseless in the shower, obviously."

"No thanks. I'm busy right now." Tevos grinned and poured some more gel into her hands, rubbing them together and working up a thick white lather. "Besides, I haven't washed you everywhere yet." She started at Aria's shoulders, which were bunched up beside her neck because of her position, briefly massaging the tense muscles as best she could while her hands were still slick with soap. As she worked, she whispered beside Aria's crest in a low voice. "You put up a good act, Aria, but I know you want this. I can feel your body thrumming, wondering where I'm going to touch next..."

Aria started squirming as slick fingertips ran up and down the undersides of her bound arms. "Fuck," she blurted out, closing her eyes and grinding her teeth together. Tevos wasn't touching her anywhere particularly sensitive yet, but her entire body seemed alive with sensation. But it was Tevos's voice that really did her in. Something about the way she annunciated... it was like her lips caressed every word that passed through them.

"I adore your arms, you know. I'm not sure if I've ever told you. Strong. Confident when they hold me, wrap me up... pin me down... thrust inside of me..." Her thumbs pressed into Aria's palms, massaging them briefly and checking the binding she had made with the ruined blue tie. It was a shame to waste such an attractive garment, but she would buy Aria a new one eventually. Maybe several. Tevos had a feeling that none of Aria's ties would last for very long.

"Then untie me, and I'll do all those things," Aria said hastily, her head lolling forward.

Tevos kissed the top of her crest and laughed. "No. Let me have my fun. Now, about the rest of your body..." Aria chewed on her lip as Tevos's hands left her for a moment, and actually bit down harshly when they began squeezing her breasts. "I love these, too. Love how sensitive they are. Especially here," she murmured, rolling both of Aria's nipples between her slippery fingertips. Aria groaned. The lack of friction was maddening.

Just as she started getting used to having Tevos's hands on her breasts, they moved lower, swirling white film across her stomach and painting lines from hipbone to hipbone. "And your hips. I definitely appreciate them when you fuck me." She pressed a quick kiss to the ball of Aria's shoulder before reaching around and sliding her hands lower, not caring when her knuckles pressed into the shower wall. "Of course, your ass does most of the hard work," she said, firmly massaging both cheeks at the same time. "It also looks fantastic in your leather pants. And even better out of them."

"Goddess, Thea... stop being such a fucking cocktease and get me off already!"

Tevos clicked her tongue, backing away so that the lines of their bodies no longer touched. "You aren’t wearing your cock, and you need to learn some patience."

Aria snorted at that and rolled her eyes. "Please, Aria! Join with me, use me, fuck me harder! Spank me, let me suck you off, anything! I need to come!" she said in a breathless, high-pitched voice. It was a fairly realistic impression. "That's what you sound like," she added in her own voice. "So don't fucking tell me to be patient."

Tevos laughed. For all of Aria’s complaining, she knew she had the edge this time. "You don't have a choice right now," she said, giving Aria's ass a firm pinch that made her yelp in surprise. "That was for being an ass. Literally." She planted a soft, lingering kiss on Aria's lips for good measure. "That was... just because."

Somehow, Tevos's gentle gesture of affection broke Aria when orders couldn't. With a sigh, she surrendered herself, letting her muscles soften and lowering her head slightly. "Go ahead. Play as much as you want."

With a smile so big that it made her facial tattoos stretch, Tevos began a very thorough exploration of Aria's body. She already knew every inch of it, of course, but the rediscovery was still exquisite. Tevos spread her fingers across Aria's upper chest, feeling her heartbeat and toying with her breasts again for a little while before sliding her hands up and down the curve of her waist. She even knelt briefly to wash Aria's legs, rubbing the soles of her feet and tickling behind her knees.

Soon, every inch of Aria had been caressed, washed, or kissed in some way except for the throbbing space between her legs. "Not that I'm complaining," Aria said, struggling to keep her breathing steady as Tevos got back to her feet and began tracing patterns over her inner thighs, "but you might have missed a spot."

"Oh, did I?" Tevos licked her lips, more for the visual than anything since they were still wet from the hot water raining down on both of them. "Where?" she asked, pressing her body flush against Aria's, enjoying the glide of their soap-slicked skin.

Since Aria's hands were still strung up above her head, she started to grind against the convenient knee that Tevos had slid between her legs. "You're smart. Figure it out."

Tevos decided that she was tired of Aria's attitude, and only knew of one way to shut her up. After rinsing her fingers under the spray to make sure that all of the soap was gone, she reached between Aria's legs and began rubbing slightly below her clit. Frustratingly close, but not enough.

"Here?" she mumbled against Aria's neck, nibbling the proud line of her jaw.

"Keep trying."

"Here?"

This time, her approach was purposefully too high, and Aria huffed in frustration. After swearing under her breath, she tried to adjust the angle of her hips, but Tevos wouldn't allow it. "You will be paying for this later. Your ass is going to be so sore you won't be able to sit at all tomorrow."

Tevos’'s fingers began circling the sensitive bud that she had been deliberately avoiding, twirling around and around, but just... not... quite...

"Please," Aria said, breaking down and letting her body slump against its bindings.

"You know," Tevos said, kissing the corner of Aria's mouth, "it's awfully nice to hear that word from you for a change instead of saying it myself. I think you deserve a reward." This time, she hit the right spot and made Aria gasp beside her head. Her finger flew over the slick tip she had been toying with as she started the meld, reaching out and linking their minds.

Tevos moaned as she felt Aria's desire slam into her like a physical force, and she was suddenly much more sympathetic to her lover's plight. She also felt the ache in Aria's shoulders and neck, privately resolving to end this encounter soon so that she wouldn't have to remain tied up for much longer.

Aria was too needy to offer any demands or snarky comments, not even a 'serve's you right'. Instead, she stared into Tevos's swirling black eyes and spread her legs as best she could, asking for a quicker, firmer touch with her body language.

 _'You're lucky I can't resist you, love.'_ Aria stiffened for a moment, surprised by what Tevos had called her, but she didn't pull back from the meld. Once the initial shock passed, she responded positively, weaving love and happiness into the thread that connected them. Giddy with Aria's feelings, Tevos gathered up some of the biotic energy her body was releasing and concentrated it in the pad of her thumb, holding it directly against the hard, smooth ridge of Aria's clit. She felt Aria's mind explode with bright colors, her hips bucking and her arms and legs shuddering at the intense vibrations. _'You know, it's kind of a power trip to have the Queen of Omega under my thumb. Literally.'_

 _'You – have no... idea...'_ Aria thought brokenly. _'Watching the asari councilor beg to suck me off? That's a power trip – Oh Goddess, just a little... a little harder... Mmm. And that's not even counting the times I've tied you up, spanked you, called you a whore...'_

_'So, an average weekend for us.'_

_'Pretty much. Ah, fuck, I'm – I'm gonna...'_ Aria's thighs squeezed shut around Tevos's hand, trapping it in place as she writhed against her lover's rapidly vibrating thumb. They came together, their twin gasps echoing against the shower walls.

Once the pulses had faded to pleasurable aftershocks, Tevos removed her hand and began trying to undo the wet, knotted tie binding Aria's wrists to the metal bar. After only a few futile tugs, she grew impatient enough to use her biotics, tearing through the fabric easily and letting the ruined garment fall to the bottom of the tub with a wet smack. She watched as Aria rotated her wrists and rolled her shoulders, testing the stiff muscles, and found herself copying the motion even though she hadn't been the one tied to the bar.

"I'm going to miss that tie," Aria said, sounding only a little disappointed.

"Miss it? You only wore it once."

"Yeah, but it helped me seduce you."

Tevos smirked and stepped out of the shower, sighing as she felt the meld fade. She grabbed the nearest towel and tucked it beneath her arm, pulling down a second one for Aria. "I think you would have been able to seduce me without it, but I won't lie. The tie helped. Maybe there is something to be said for human fashion."

"I think I saw a picture of Liara's mother in a suit once," Aria said, turning off the water and catching the towel Tevos launched at her head in a cloud of blue wisps. She draped it over her shoulders and shook water droplets from both legs before climbing out of the shower.

"Matriarch Benezia? I always worried about making a fool of myself whenever I talked to her. I was very young when I started my career in politics, and she was a prominent figure at the time."

"A prominent figure, huh?" Aria gave Tevos a pointed leer. "Did you have a bit of a crush?"

"Maybe," Tevos said shyly.

"Did you..?" Aria asked, wiggling her hand suggestively.

"Once or twice. And I didn't have anyone to help me at the end, so it was more painful than pleasurable. That little infatuation did help me get over my first serious girlfriend, though. She dumped me when my mother started complaining that a pureblood daughter would ruin my image. Of course, she really meant that it would ruin her image."

Even without the meld, Aria could feel the presence of an old wound there, but she ignored it for the moment. "And now everyone in the galaxy owes their lives to a pureblood. Your dad was a turian, right?"

"Right. What species was your father, by the way? I can't tell by looking."

"Well, I was conceived during a huge interspecies orgy, so I don't really know," she said after a long pause, eyes shifting back and forth.

Tevos finished drying herself off with her towel and tossed it carelessly over her shoulder, taking a few steps closer to Aria and caressing her bare hips. "You're the prettiest liar I've ever known. Come on," she said, pressing her lips to Aria's neck, "tell me. You know I'll try and find out the next time we join if you don't."

Aria heaved an exasperated, overly dramatic sigh. "My father was a hanar."

Just as she had feared, Tevos burst out laughing and took a step back, leaning against the bathroom counter. "A hanar? So..."

"So..."

"So, what's your soul name? Swears Profusely During Multiple Orgasms?"

"I don't have a soul name," Aria said flatly. "Asari reproduction doesn't work like that."

"Enjoys the Texture of Leather in Various Intimate Circumstances?"

Aria deliberately dropped her towel in the middle of the floor and stomped back into the bedroom. "Oh, come on! That was a good one! What about Employs Violence to Solve Even Minor Annoyances?"

"If you don't shut up, I'm going to employ violence against you.”


	14. Chapter 14

_**Eight Galactic Standard Months Later: After countless adventures, several misunderstandings, a lot of hard work, and even more orgasms…** _

The sound of her electromagnetic office door swishing open when it was supposed to be locked drew Tevos's attention away from the datapad in her hand. As she looked up, she smiled at the sight of Aria standing in the doorway, hands clasped behind her back and looking more full of herself than usual. "Aria? I wasn't expecting you for another two hours," she said, pleased by her lover's early arrival, but also slightly suspicious. Aria's grin was always smug, but today it was just a little too smug. "Any particular reason you decided to drop by?"

"Maybe," she said, not elaborating any further.

Tevos got over her surprised delight quickly enough to notice how uncharacteristic Aria's body movements were. The normally poised Queen of Omega was rocking back and forth between the heels and balls of her feet, hands still clasped out of sight and looking almost gleeful. "Well, I suppose it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it's three years to the day since the first time we had wild, passionate, kinky sex in my old office on the Citadel."

Aria's lips spread in an even more seductive smile, her eyes narrowing as they stared at the high neck of Tevos's dress. The councilor's conservative wardrobe choice was her fault – she had left too many marks the last time they made love. "Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. What will you give me to find out?"

"A kiss. And perhaps a few other things," Tevos purred, not even bothering to make sure the door was closed. Obviously, if Aria had found a way into her office two hours earlier than scheduled, she had also bribed Tevos's attaché to hold all her calls and keep back any visitors. Neota was bright enough to realize that Aria's visits were the only breaks Tevos didn't work through, and discreet enough to keep them a secret.

Aria's hands remained behind her back even when Tevos stood and circled the desk to meet her. "I'd better get more than just a fucking kiss for remembering our sort-of Anniversary."

"Happy not-really Anniversary to you, too," Tevos said with a soft laugh. "What's behind your back, Unable to Remain Silent While Coming?"

Aria did a little juggling behind her back before bringing one hand up to smack her forehead. "Come on. It's been months now. The soul name thing is getting old."

"But I have new ones! Liara came up with Drinks and Swears to Make Problems Vanish, and -"

"You told Liara?" Aria interrupted, her voice catching with just a hint of dread.

"She already knew your other parent was a hanar." That was mostly the truth, although Liara hadn't thought the fact something worthy of teasing Aria about until Tevos explained how much it bothered her. At the time, she had felt the Shadow Broker could use a little extra blackmail material. Liara was normally very good at finding people's weaknesses and exploiting them, but Aria was slippery.

"You still haven't answered my question. What's behind your back?" Tevos perched on the edge of her desk and secretly hoping that Aria would come stand between her legs. She wasn't disappointed.

"Your anniversary present," Aria drawled as she stepped forward, enjoying the way Tevos's tight dress bunched slightly against her thighs. It would be difficult to get her out of such a clingy little number quickly, but Aria didn't mind working a little to unwrap her prize.

Tevos chuckled, playing along. "A present, huh? One of our toys from home? How did you get it past security?"

"No. An honest to Goddess present. Want it?"

Tevos tried not to look too shocked. Aria had bought her presents before, but they were usually things that both of them could enjoy and use together, like wine, massage oil, or the new riding crop she had returned home with the week before last. "Yes," she said, admiring the way their bodies fit together as Aria leaned in close. Since she was sitting on the edge of the desk while Aria was standing, their height difference was more noticeable than usual.

"Here. Catch." Casually, Aria tossed something onto her lap. It wasn't until Tevos actually picked up the item that she realized its significance.

"But this is – I mean, you... Giving me... Aria, this is a terrible idea."

"Yeah, it kind of is. I don't care." Despite the countless melds they had shared – she wouldn't have bothered asking if she wasn't sure the answer would be 'yes' – Aria felt her stomach twist as she waited for some kind of response. Even though her lover had been receptive to the idea in theory, putting it into practice was an entirely different matter. She was still a criminal, and Tevos was still the asari councilor.

When Tevos had imagined being proposed to, and she had imagined it in her more frivolous moments, everything was much more traditional and elaborate. The engagement chord, whispering sweet nothings under Thessia's stars, the obligatory day spent in bed afterward. But all those things suddenly seemed meaningless compared with the weight of Aria's declaration.

Despite her occasionally violent temper and her fondness for alcohol, the Queen of Omega was never careless. All of her actions were planned out meticulously beforehand. Aria had obviously thought through all of the horrible things that could go wrong if they bonded, and she had decided to come forward with a promise of commitment anyway. She wasn't just expressing her love, although the fact that she said the words 'I love you' with some regularity now was a minor miracle in and of itself. She was taking a gamble.

"Look, I know it won't be easy. I don't want to leave Omega. Besides you and – and Liselle, it's the only damn thing I've ever cared about. And I know you don't want to leave your job. There are going to be a lot of people giving us shit about this. Especially you. The Matriarchs on Thessia, the press... and, fuck, I'm not exactly the most well loved person in the galaxy. I have plenty of enemies. If they knew I had a bondmate..."

"If you're trying to convince me to say yes, you're not going about it very well. Implying that I might lose my job or be kidnapped and murdered isn't a sound strategy."

Aria took the bracelet from Tevos's hands, brushing over the councilor's knuckles with her thumb. "You haven't said no yet, either. So please, Thea. Bond with me?"

Tevos sighed. "It will probably be better if we elope to one of the lesser-known garden worlds without telling anyone where we're going or why. A private ceremony, just us and the officiate, no guests. When we get back, we'll just wait for someone to catch on and deal with the fallout as it comes."

"Goddess, you're just as bad at this as I am," Aria said as she brought Tevos's wrist to her lips and kissed the pulse point there. "You're supposed to scream 'yes!' and then fuck me, or at least give me a vid-style kiss." But she smiled while she latched the woven band in place.

"That was a challenge if I ever heard one."

They did kiss, firmly and eagerly and a little sloppily, but neither of them cared. Somehow, it was perfect.

"Guess what," Aria murmured against Tevos's soft mouth. She could never get enough of her lover's lips. The sexy little white stripe down the center, the way they formed each word she spoke, how they always parted for her tongue when they kissed. And there were so many delicious, dirty things that hot little mouth could do...

"What?"

"Your wrist isn't bare anymore."

For a moment, Tevos simply smiled, pulling aside the high red collar of Aria's jacket and kissing her neck. "No. It isn't." Then, with a small start, she realized the intent behind Aria's words. She glanced away shyly, her teeth digging into her lower lip and a purple flush spreading across her cheeks. "So... that means..."

Aria smirked. "That's right, sugartits. I believe your exact words were, 'the day you give me a bondmate bracelet is the day I'll let you fuck my ass.' You don't want to break your promise, do you?"

"But–"

"But nothing," Aria leaned down to whisper right beside Tevos's crest. She was encouraged when Tevos's eyes drifted shut and her breath hitched. "Don't worry, sweetheart," Aria said with a roguish wink. "I promise to be gentle with you... the first time, anyway."

"Aria..."

"Don't overanalyze it. Just think of me, claiming you in every possible way. Then, give me a real answer." That caused Tevos to shudder, and Aria knew she had won when the councilor practically sagged against her chest. Feeling very pleased with herself, she slipped her hand beneath Tevos's dress and initiated a shallow meld, just to see what her lover was thinking.

_'I – I have been thinking about it. Just a little...'_

_'Just a little, huh? Tell me.'_

_There was a brief pulse of confusion as Tevos groped for words, distracted by the searching fingers that slipped past the waistband of her panties, but eventually, she was able to share an image – bent over the desk she was sitting on now, fingers pumping lazily in and out of her from behind as the head of Aria's cock pushed against her other opening with firm, steady pressure, slowly stretching..._

Aria pulled back slightly from the meld, gasping like a swimmer that had just broken the surface. For just a moment, she let her fingertips pinch the hard little bud they had been teasing, tweaking it and enjoying the high-pitched whimper that followed. She hadn't expected something so intense. Her plan had been to use one finger, maybe two, with a lot of whispered reassurances and even more lube. That was still part of the plan, but if Tevos wanted to take her cock...

"We need to go to your apartment. Right now!" Aria managed to say in a hoarse sort of growl. She removed her hand from beneath Tevos's dress reluctantly, and consoled herself by slipping her wet fingers in her mouth and folding her tongue around them for a moment.

"Now?" Tevos swallowed, trying to work some moisture back into her dry mouth as she watched Aria wipe her fingers against one side of her corset. She was strangely protective of her leather pants and did her best to keep them clean, even though she occasionally ruined a pair when they had sex with their clothes on. "You mean _now_ , now?’

"Yes. Right now. Unless you want me claiming my reward over your desk." It was a very real threat, and both of them knew it. "But all of my stuff is in your bedroom, including our toys. So..." Aria stepped backwards slightly so that Tevos could swing her legs over the desk and stand up.

"Just let me get my purse."


	15. Chapter 15

"Thea?"

There was a muffled sound from somewhere behind the bathroom door, and Aria sighed, propping herself against the wall.

"Thea. What the hell are you doing in there? It's been almost an hour." So far, Aria had watched a few choice clips from Illium Whores 7 and beaten Tevos's weekly high score on Krogan vs. Asari. She couldn't wait to see her lover's reaction when she finally beat her all-time high score. But those things weren't much fun in comparison with the sex she could have been having.

"Just give me one more minute..."

"Sweetheart, if you don't want to do this, it's okay. We don’t have to fuck at all, but please come out now, because I'm really bored." Truthfully, Aria was horny rather than bored, but she didn't want to add to any guilt or pressure to perform Tevos might be feeling.

There were a few more quiet noises, and then the door swished open. Tevos stood before her completely naked, blushing and shifting on her feet, her hands clasped behind her back. "I'm sorry I made you wait. After my shower, my mind sort of ran away with me, and I just stood there in the cold, thinking."

Aria frowned. "If it really bothers you that much, we won't do it. I want to, sure, but if you're going to be miserable, I won't like it anyway."

"I want to try. But I think I need to be in a submissive mindset for it, at least at first."

"You want it to be a scene," Aria said. She wasn't surprised, really, that Tevos needed this. The councilor was so high-strung that their power games were the only times she ever allowed herself to relax. Silently, Aria thought through her options. This would have to be a careful balancing act. She needed to take away enough of Tevos's control to absolve her of guilt and responsibility, but she had to do it gently. Lovingly.

"Well..."

Aria reached out and took Tevos's hand. "Do you trust me?"

"Implicitly."

It was still a little strange, Aria thought, to have someone trust her at all. Before Tevos, her world had been full of backstabbing criminals and mercs whose loyalty was inspired by fear or greed, but never by emotions such as love. But she had decided months ago that she liked it. "Then come on."

Tevos glanced between Aria's legs, both relieved and slightly disappointed to see that she wasn't wearing a toy. If they were going to do this, she wanted to surrender herself completely and take everything Aria had to give.

Even without the meld, Aria seemed to read her thoughts. "Oh, that's coming later," she said as she walked over to the bed. "But first, get up here." She patted the mattress with one hand. "I want you lying on your stomach. Clasp your hands and hold them above your head."

A little skittishly, Tevos obeyed, brushing Aria's thigh with one hand as she climbed onto the bed. The two of them shared a quick smile before settling into their roles. "Good," Aria said once Tevos was in position. "Now, close your eyes for me."

Tevos let out a shuddering breath and buried her face in the sheets, isolating herself in the dark, warm space. Then, she waited. One second, two, a minute... she couldn't tell, but it felt like forever. She gasped when she felt Aria take her newly braceleted wrist and begin tying something around it. High-quality rope, she guessed from the texture. Soon, both of her hands were bound together, and she had to bend her arms at the elbow slightly to remain comfortable. She kept her face pressed into the mattress and her eyes closed.

With her sight gone, her hearing seemed to get sharper, and Tevos listened as Aria rummaged around in the bedside drawer. Part of her was desperately curious, and she turned her head, opening one eye ever so slightly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her lover. Aria shot her down immediately. "It would be a shame if we had to call this off because my good girl suddenly decided to be... disobedient. Keep those eyes closed."

Tevos clenched her teeth a little, disappointed, but unwilling to take the risk. Dutifully, she buried her face back in the pillow, taking comfort in the feel of her own breath and the bindings around her wrists. They weren't tight enough to restrict blood flow, but tight enough that she couldn't work her way out of them without her biotics or something sharp. Fortunately, her wait didn't last long. She felt Aria's weight shift on the mattress, making it dip slightly, but she still yelped in surprise when Aria's palm came down against her backside with an audible smack.

It took a few seconds, but the initial sting of the spank faded, leaving behind a warm glow as Aria's fingers made their way between her legs, probing against her folds, testing the slickness there. "Goddess, Thea, you're so warm. So wet, so ready for me. You were thinking about this in the shower, huh?"

Tevos moaned low in her throat, lifting her head slightly so that she wasn't breathing into the pillow and wiggling her hips. When Aria noticed that Tevos was pushing back against her hand, she gave the other side of her ass a matching slap. "Hold still, or you won't get what you want. You can open your eyes, though." Warm hands circled her waist, urging Tevos onto her knees and propping her up with a couple of pillows. "There. Much better. And such a pretty view..." Tevos sighed as she felt the familiar shape of Aria's cock press against her entrance, dragging up and down through her wet folds, teasing her as the head rubbed against her sensitive ridge. Without warning, it sank inside of her in one long, slow, uninterrupted thrust. The sudden fullness and stretch burned just a little, forcing all the breath from her chest, but she didn't care.

Slowly, too slowly, Aria began moving her hips, watching as her shaft sank all the way inside. As much as she wanted to move on to the next part of the scene, she had to admit that Tevos looked beautiful stretched around her, coating the length of her cock with a shimmering coat of wetness. Part of her never wanted to leave the tight, clinging heat at all, but the soft little sounds Tevos made whenever the head caught against her front wall on the backstroke were too endearing to resist.

For several moments, Aria simply watched Tevos enjoy herself, relaxing into the sensations, opening and accepting all of the pleasure being given. Then, with great reluctance, she stopped her thrusting motion, holding Tevos's hips in her hands to keep her from moving. Tevos’s low, appreciative moans turned into a cry of surprise and disappointment. She strained slightly against Aria's grip, seeking out the rhythm she had lost, but Aria only clicked her tongue. "Ah ah. You've been so good for me tonight. Don't ruin it now."

Tevos bit her lip and stopped squirming, unable to keep from whining slightly at the loss of friction, but she remained still. She didn't want the fullness inside of her to be taken away, too, and she knew that Aria would do it if she felt like her instructions weren't being followed. She didn't remain frustrated for long, because a sudden coldness against her other opening made her flinch and squeak. Tevos had been expecting it in the abstract, but the actual sensation was still jarring.

"Shh. Just relax, sweetheart. It’s just my finger." Although the lubricant had been cold at first contact, the heat of her body and Aria's hand soon warmed it. She was surprised how quickly and easily she took the unexpected intrusion, and was grateful for the extra slickness, even if the temperature had startled her.

"Goddess, you're so warm here. So tight..." Tevos shuddered, her attention torn between Aria's probing fingers and her earnest words. "And you're going to feel so fucking good around my cock." Aria laughed when she felt Tevos's inner walls twitch around the shaft of the toy with desire and jealousy. "Don't worry... my other hand will be filling you there, too. You're going to love it."

Tevos wasn't even sure how many fingers Aria was using on her now. Two? Three? But she was curling them, twisting, rubbing up and down the length of her cock through the thin barrier. "Maybe... maybe you'll even beg for it, when I'm buried all the way inside of you, claiming that last part of you. Until every last bit of you belongs to me."

Although she wasn't quite ready to beg, Tevos did manage a quiet, soft "Yes..." under her breath.

Carefully, Aria brought their minds together, reaching out gently at first and gathering Tevos into herself. It was almost like wrapping someone in an embrace, warm and intimate and comforting. She was pleased when she didn't find the sharp, jarring discoloration of fear amidst the rest of Tevos's emotions. There was nervousness, embarrassment, and breathless anticipation, but she wasn't frightened or hurt. Satisfied with what she had found, Aria shifted her hips back, pulling out and unable to stop herself from groaning at the loss.

Tevos began wiggling underneath her again, obviously missing the fullness even if Aria hadn't been thrusting. For a moment, the meld became shaky as Aria pulled away from her completely, leaving her empty and wanting. She was embarrassed to realize that she even missed the presence of Aria's fingers, and that embarrassment doubled when Aria caught the thought as well.

"I knew you'd like it," she teased, and even though Tevos couldn't see it, she could feel the pull of Aria's grin in her own facial muscles, as well as hear it in her voice. "Kinky bitch."

All movement stopped and the meld suddenly came back into focus as she felt Aria's hand grip her hip, smearing lubricant against the bare skin there. At the same time, the head of the toy began to press against her. For a moment, they held perfectly still. Then, Aria's other hand, the one that hadn't been inside of her before, probed between her legs, gathering up some of the wetness that coated her inner thighs and painting it over her clit. That was enough to distract her from the slowly increasing pressure, at least for a little while. With every soft push and release, Aria swiped her thumb over Tevos's ridge, sharp pangs of pleasure pushing away any slight discomfort.

Finally, after what felt like forever, something seemed to pull loose inside of her and give way, allowing the head of Aria's cock to slip past her entrance. It felt... strange, at first. Not the deep, tearing pain part of her had feared. But the sudden wave of arousal and sensation practically pouring out of Aria and in to her took her breath away.

When Aria felt and saw Tevos's muscles relax, she pushed forward, burying herself another inch deeper. It was slow going at first, because she stopped whenever she felt even the slightest hint of pain through the meld, but continued until, at last, the front of her thighs met the back of Tevos's. _'Goddess, watching myself push inside of you is unbelievable. And I can feel you wrapped around me, so tight, squeezing down... You're all mine now... Every last bit of you.'_

Both of them sighed and shuddered at the same time, but Aria didn't pause long to savor those sensations. Her hips were screaming at her to move, and she had only held back to give Tevos's body a chance to adjust. Carefully, she slid part way out, slower than she would have liked. Aria felt Tevos tense up slightly against her, and so she kept talking through their shared connection. 'I knew you would enjoy this. It makes you feel just a little bit naughty. Submissive. Owned.' She pushed forward again, so slowly it ached for both of them.

Tevos clenched her hands into fists, flexing just a little against the rope around her wrists. It was embarrassing to admit, but everything Aria said was true. It wouldn't have been her first choice – her inner walls twitched with unfulfilled need, the emptiness almost unbearable – but being touched so intimately, in a place no one else had ever explored before... she couldn't deny that it made her feel possessed in a very strong way.

Aria picked up on her thoughts immediately, as she always did. _'It is such a fucking turn-on to know that I'm the first one to have you this way. You have no idea.'_

Tevos shivered at the raw power behind that statement. Through the union, she had more than just an idea. Her cheeks burned, and she whimpered as Aria began stroking her slick folds from behind, teasing at penetration. Aria's other hand stayed on her hip, guiding her into a gentle but insistent rhythm, relishing in the soft cries and the panting little moans she could coax out with each rocking thrust.

_'Goddess, the sounds you make... the way your back curves... it drives me fucking crazy. You love this, too, don't you? Love that I'm filling you completely, in every possible way. I think...'_ She paused, pushing deeper into Tevos's mind, savoring sex tinged with shame and desire colored by embarrassment. _'No, I know I can make you ask for it now. Make you beg me to keep fucking your ass–'_ Aria pushed back into Tevos in one smooth stroke, emphasizing her words with the action, _'–because you're mine.'_

Aria had made Tevos beg before, of course. It was almost a staple in their sex life. She enjoyed it because Tevos had a perfect bedroom voice, raspy and needy, broken at exactly the right pitch and full of longing. She also loved watching Tevos transition from the poised, controlled asari councilor to a writhing mess of desire sobbing for release. Aria had forced Tevos to beg for just about everything during the course of their sexual relationship – her fingers, her tongue, her teeth, her azure, her cock, and especially permission to come.

But both of them knew that this would be different.

It was sexy when Tevos pleaded to lick her, or suck her off, or to be taken and filled, but those were all things her lover desperately wanted. Asking for something she craved so much wasn't too difficult. But asking for something like this... something that Tevos thought was embarrassing, and naughty, and just a little bit wrong...

_'Oh, Aria... Please.'_ So far, Tevos had been mostly silent, communicating with her feelings instead of her words, but she couldn't help responding now.

"Please what?" Aria asked, forcing her mouth to form the words as she bit down on the stripe bisecting her lower lip.

_'Just... please. I need – Aria, I can't...'_

"Out loud. Let me hear you."

Tevos swallowed, pulling at her bindings again, reminding herself that she couldn't get what she needed on her own. That made it a little easier for her to speak. "I – I need your fingers inside me. And I... I want..." Her voice cracked, and she let out a broken sob when Aria's hips stopped moving. With a sinking feeling, Tevos realized that she wasn't going to get anything more until she begged prettily enough. She twitched and strained, not sure what to say, not sure if she could say anything at all.

But Aria was there, inside of her, offering comfort in her mind even though she refused to offer anything more with her body, burrowing deep into her consciousness and touching all the raw, open places until they were pleasantly sore and soothed.

Finally, she found her voice. She knew what to say.

"I'm yours, Aria. I want you to have all of me. Even this. So, please... Use me, any part of me. Come inside of me this way, while you're fucking my ass. Fill me with your fingers and feel how much I need this, need you. Let me give you everything, because I belong to you. Because I love you."

Aria tried. She really did. But for a moment, it was impossible to stay in character. Any lingering doubts about her decision to propose were completely and utterly quashed. If she could fuck Tevos's ass from behind and make her beg for more while her wrists were tied, and still feel like they were making love as well... they were already bondmates, ceremony or no ceremony. Since no words could possibly compare to what her lover had just said, Aria decided to show her appreciation by resuming the motion of her hips, burying her fingers and her cock as deep as she could.

For a moment, Tevos thought she might actually cry. It was unbearable, feeling Aria fill her, press further inside of her in both places, and then suddenly withdraw, leaving her with nothing but pulsing emptiness while a strong hand grasped the swell of her waist hard enough to leave bruises. She mewled and twisted as Aria experimented with different rhythms, alternating the thrusts of her hips and her hand and then moving them in unison to see which her lover liked better. Finally, Aria found the right angle, the right tempo, and the perfect amount of force, and both of them nearly melted.

_'I – I can't last like this,'_  Tevos confessed brokenly, the thought pounding in both of their heads. Normally, she had a fair amount of control over when she came as long as she had Aria's mind to link with, but this time, it was all just too much.

On another night, Aria might have made her wait, pushed her limits, but Tevos had already surrendered so much to her. _'Poor thing. I don't even need the joining to feel you pulse around me.'_ Despite her teasing thoughts, Aria was in a similar, slightly desperate position. Tevos's desire was her desire, and if she kept up her current pace, she wouldn't be able to stop them from coming together. But maybe she could squeeze in one denial first, just to hear the pained little gasp of need that she loved so much. _'But not yet. Wait.'_

Tevos's body froze up, holding perfectly still. She clung to the meld, trying not to focus too much on the constantly shifting movement inside of her. Just as Aria had expected, she took in a hitched sort of sob, squeezing her eyes shut even though Aria was behind her and couldn't see. Her face burned, and she whimpered shamelessly into the pillow, trying to muffle some of her cries. _'Oh fuck me, I... Please...'_

Aria only made her wait about ten more seconds, but those short seconds were stretched and strung tight with tension. _'I – I can't say no to my bondmate. Come with me.'_

It was being addressed as Aria's bondmate as much as the thumb rubbing over her clit that pushed Tevos over the edge. Her inner walls pulled tight, then trembled in a series of harsh pulses as she clamped down around Aria’s fingers and every inch of her cock. The ridge of her clit throbbed, but she was so focused on the strange new fullness inside of her as she came that she barely noticed.

Aria came crashing down with her, full of shudders and low sighs as the aching fullness along the shaft finally released. Her hips slammed forward one last time as she emptied herself, pushing a little deeper with each rippling pulse of warmth. Every time Tevos’s muscles pulled tight around her, it drew another burst of heat from the head of her cock.

They thrashed together, biotics flaring, every muscle straining as their minds flowed into each other, pulling so close that even the tiniest gap of space between their souls seemed unbearable. Both of them kept moving, milking every sensation for all it was worth. Finally, their bodies gave out and collapsed on top of the pillows, completely and utterly spent, still jerking slightly with aftershocks every few seconds.


	16. Chapter 16

After a few moments, Tevos felt Aria gently withdraw from her body. She allowed herself to be rolled over on the bed and let out a sigh of relief as her wrists were freed, knowing she needed to move eventually, but completely unable to control her limbs. Even rolling the stiffness from her arms was too much. The meld faded, and she ached to call Aria back as she watched her walk unsteadily toward the en suite, sucking on the fingers of the hand that was coated in her wetness. But all she could do was lay there, twitching with aftershocks and the rawness of her emotions. She knew her lover would return in just a moment, bringing washcloths and a towel and kisses and soothing words, but she hated being alone after what they had just done.

As usual, Aria made her wait, but not for long. For all her faults, Aria had always been good at aftercare, even before they were in any kind of relationship. Perhaps it was a benefit of the ability to meld, but she always seemed to know when and how to offer comfort. "Here, let me just..." She didn't resist when Aria parted her legs, and even sighed in pleasure at the warmth of the washcloth. Despite the way her entire body ached, she even allowed Aria to lift her hips and ease a towel underneath them so that the large wet spot on the bed wouldn't make her cold and uncomfortable. They would definitely need to change the sheets, and probably take another shower, but later. For now, Aria was the only thing she wanted.

Tevos clung to Aria as soon as she crawled back onto the bed and refused to let go, making it slightly difficult for her to settle into a comfortable position. They melded again for a few minutes, a mating meld even though there was no physical sex happening, and felt instant relief at not being just half of a whole anymore.

_'I missed you.'_

_'I was gone for about two minutes.'_

_'Two minutes too long.'_

They didn't even have the energy to banter, and simply folded in on each other. The universe seemed to shrink until it only held the two of them, and nothing else mattered. Aria did find the energy to say one more thing, though. "I love you..."

It had taken a long time, but the words came more easily now, and she meant them.

"You're impossible. I love you, too. So, where do you want to elope?"

"Illium?"

That earned her an immediate, "Absolutely not."

"Come on. You like Illium. It has the best shopping."

"Illium is for shoes, pricey lingerie, and amps I can't get anywhere else. Not bondmate ceremonies. Besides, the place is crawling with paparazzi. Do you know how many celebrities live in Nos Astra?"

"What do I care?"

Tevos laughed against Aria's warm shoulder. "You care. You're too vain to get married on Illium. Do you really want to go to the one place in the galaxy where there's a chance you won't be the tallest, sexiest, wealthiest asari in the room?"

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or a compliment. Probably an insult. What about Nevos? Beaches, two moons... less illegal activity..."

"If I cared that much about illegal activity, do you really think I'd be visiting Omega to fuck you on a regular basis?"

Aria had to admit that Tevos had a point. "So, is that a yes or a no?"

"Nevos sounds nice. I've never been."

Aria had visited Nevos before, but decided that it was probably wise not to mention some of the things she had done there. "Okay," she said, blissfully content as she threw a casual leg over Tevos's hips, enjoying the warmth and the stretch in her lower back.

"Now I just have to figure out how to tell my mother."

The perfect moment shattered, and Aria groaned in frustration. She nipped Tevos's neck briefly, latching on to the skin there in hopes of creating a distraction. "Great. What are you going to say? Hi, mom! This is my asari bondmate, who also happens to run the biggest criminal enterprise in the entire Terminus System. She's fantastic in bed, but I mostly stay with her because of her sparkling, vivacious personality when she's not killing or extorting people."

Tevos sighed. "Don't worry. She'll probably faint before I get past 'asari bondmate' and won't hear the rest."

"That's really comforting, Thea. Thanks a lot."

"Hey, I just let you fuck my ass. Coming with me to Thessia to meet my mother isn't too much to ask... after we're bonded, of course. I refuse to let her scare you off like she did with my other girlfriends. Eventually, I just stopped bringing them. It wasn't worth the trouble."

Aria was almost insulted. "I've fought entire armies of mercs, and you think one stuck-up matriarch is going to scare me? Please. The hard part will be restraining my biotics."

"She always wanted me to bond with someone that was wealthy, influential, and not an asari. So I guess two out of three isn't bad."

"No," Aria said. "But... I think I might need some more convincing before we go visit."

"Convincing?"

Aria took Tevos's hand and sent her a brief image –  _reclining against the headboard, propped up on several pillows while she gripped her lover's crest, rolling her hips against the soft tongue working between her legs._

_'Oh. That kind of convincing. I get a turn after, right?'_

_'Yes, as long as you take your time.'_

_'I'm completely fine with that. Now get your leg off me. I think I'm getting my second wind.'_

. . .

Liara collapsed back onto the pillows, her body relaxing from it's jackknifed position as her fingers eased their grip on Shepard's hair. "Goddess, Shepard! Don't take this the wrong way, but your tongue is very... efficient."

Shepard took a moment to nip Liara's inner thigh and leave a dark purple mark there before answering. "Efficient? You can't come up with anything better than that, Dr. T'Soni?"

"Wonderful. Talented. Masterful. Pick your complimentary adjective."

"I like masterful," Shepard said, pressing one last kiss to the very tip of Liara's clit before shifting up a few inches and resting her cheek on the swell of her bondmate's lower abdomen, careful not to let the full weight of her head rest there. The texture of Liara's skin always amazed her. It looked scaled up close, perhaps even a little reptilian, but felt incredibly soft to the touch, even softer than her own flesh. "Hey, didn't your Omnitool go off just before we came?"

Liara vaguely remembered hearing the familiar buzzing alert of a missed message as Shepard's tongue pushed inside of her, but she had been far too close to orgasm to pay much attention at the time. Frowning, she felt over the surface of the nightstand until she grasped her Omnitool's wristband. She narrowed her eyes when the display screen popped up. She did have one missed message.

_TO: [REDACTED]_

_FROM: A. T'LOAK_

_SUBJ: We're even_

_ATTACHMENT: HOLO1, HOLO2, HOLO3_

There was no text in the body of the message, but Liara's curiosity overcame her caution, and she opened the first attachment. "Oh! Shepard, look. They're adorable."

Shepard frowned, turning her head to view the holo projection. She had never expected to hear Aria T'Loak described as 'adorable', but she did look surprisingly content as she and Tevos held hands under a pair of large white moons. "Wait... holy shit, are those bondmate bracelets?"

Liara pulled her fingers apart, zooming in on the holo. "I suppose they are." She couldn't help fidgeting with her own bracelet, which was interwoven with strands of blue for faithfulness, purple for trials withstood – purple had many of the same connotations for asari that the color red did for humans – and green to remind her of Shepard's eyes. There were a few other colors interwoven throughout the pattern as well, some with meanings behind them, and some that were simply aesthetically pleasing, but those three made up the bulk of the design.

"Wow. Never expected someone like Aria to settle down. She always seemed like too much of a lone wolf."

Briefly, Liara added 'wolf' to the mental list of English words she needed to search for on the extranet. "Or a hedonist," she added, although not unkindly. "But if she is going to settle down, I suppose I should stop sending my operatives to kill her."

"Oh, come on. Don't give me that crap. You haven't sent anyone to kill her since the wedding." It was true. Liara was still playing something of a dangerous game, sending agents to gather intelligence on Aria T'Loak's mercenary activities, but she wouldn't be able to fulfill her duties as the Shadow Broker if she let Omega become a blind spot.

"At least this explains why my reports from the Terminus System have been so short lately. I suspect Aria is too busy embracing eternity this week to smuggle as many illegal weapons and substances as usual."

"Good for her. Still weird, though. Did I tell you she tried to sleep with me a couple of times after I came back from the dead? Said human women were some of the best lovers she'd ever had."

Liara grinned. "I believe it. My experience may be limited, but if the extranet is to be believed, you humans are very... inventive when it comes to physical intimacy."

Shepard lifted her head from Liara's stomach, pausing to give the slight curve there a protective caress before she crawled back up to the head of the bed. "Open the next one... Damn. Aria looks good in a dress. I guess I'm used to her badass leather ensemble."

"I like the color Tevos is wearing."

"I'm not surprised. You always liked yellow."

Liara opened the third holo, and immediately began laughing as Shepard blushed and automatically covered her eyes. "I will never understand why humans are so put off by nudity. It is not nearly so taboo in asari culture."

"Well, I just – but... oh, hell. I've already watched them fuck, so I have no idea why I'm embarrassed at seeing them lounging on a nude beach." Almost all asari beaches were nude beaches, which Shepard had been quietly terrified to discover during their honeymoon several months ago. Naked skin aside, it was actually a nice picture. Aria was kneeling behind Tevos, massaging sunblock into her shoulders and kissing the column of her throat. "I bet she wasn't dumb enough to get a mouthful of sunscreen like I did when I tried that trick," Shepard mumbled, a little put out as she remembered the first day of their own honeymoon. After a little alcohol to wash the taste from her mouth, the rest of the day had been much more pleasant.

"Probably not. You know, I might be able to help them. A timed information leak... something juicy, but unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Maybe Dalatrass Linron's affair with one of the elcor diplomats."

"Dalatrass Linron's what? Okay, I wanted to make love again tonight, but I think you just killed my sex drive for the next week. Speaking of sex drives, why would a salarian have an affair at all? They don't get married, and they don't usually have sex for pleasure... especially with elcor. Gross."

"Best not to think about the details," Liara suggested. "But it would help push their faces off the front pages at Westerlund once their bonding becomes public knowledge."

"I'm not sure that would work, Liara. Aria and Tevos are, well... really hot. And Dalatrass Linron, er, isn't. They make better fantasy material, so they'd probably sell more magazine downloads."

"They do," Liara was forced to admit as she remembered the carefully encrypted vid file saved on her private terminal. She had tried to delete it a few times out of respect for Tevos, but could never bring herself to get rid of the last backup. "The only thing asari, quarian, and human readers like more than a forbidden romance and a wedding is a celebrity pregnancy."

Shepard's eyes widened. "That could work if we time it right," she said, idly stroking Liara's stomach.

"I'll give Khalisah a call as soon as my data searches for Aria and Tevos spike."

"Wouldn't you rather Diana?"

"Yes, but I know Khalisah's bondmate. A sweet girl. It would be a shame to see her widowed so soon. If al-Jilani is reporting about me, she'll be too busy to bother Tevos, and then Aria won't have to tear her apart with her biotics."

Shepard let out an irritated huff of air. "Fine. Whatever you want." Although she and al-Jilani had reached a tentative sort of truce, and she had behaved herself (mostly) in regards to their wedding, part of Shepard was still wary. Sometimes, she really missed Emily Wong. Just another reason to hate the Reapers.

"It was bound to happen eventually. At least this way, our inconvenience will help someone else."

"You'd better be talking about Khalisah and not our daughter."

Liara aimed a swat at Shepard's head. "Of course I am. Now... about your sex drive. Is it still dead because of the Dalatrass," Shepard gave an exaggerated shudder, which Liara ignored, "or can I do something to revive it?"

"I dunno. Maybe you should experiment and find out?"

"Well, I am a scientist," Liara murmured as she swung one of her legs over Shepard's hips, effectively straddling her as one of the human's hands cupped between her legs. "Experimenting is what I do best..."

**The End**


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